The Blues have regained their place in the Championship, but that is far from the end of their ambitions. Owner Tom Wagner has revealed that the club is aiming for back-to-back promotions next season, and they are expected to be one of the biggest spenders outside the Premier League this summer.

Birmingham indicated their ambition last week by making six signings, two of which were loan deals and three of which were free transfers. The club also signed Rennes forward Kyogo Furuhashi in a deal reported to be around £10 million.

In addition to those new signings, Hannover 96 defender Phil Neumann will join the Blues this summer after signing a pre-contract deal in January, but while the club’s activity has naturally excited fans, it has left manager Chris Davies with a somewhat bloated team.

Chris Davies facing big Birmingham City dilemmas after summer transfer activity

Of course, Davies will be reluctant to part with any of those who helped his side win the League One title so convincingly last season, but with Birmingham aiming for promotion to the Premier League next season, some tough decisions may be required, with a number of players looking unlikely to have a future at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell began last season as the Blues’ first choice custodian, but he was replaced by Ryan Allsop in October after a series of costly errors, and with the addition of James Beadle, the Northern Ireland international may be pushed lower down the pecking order.

In defence, Alfons Sampstead and Lee Buchanan may find themselves surplus to needs, while Davies must make a decision on the future of captain Krystian Bielik, who made only three starts in the second half of last season.

Last month, it was rumoured that Birmingham intended to loan out midfielder Marc Leonard this summer, and the signing of Tommy Doyle will almost certainly ensure the 23-year-old’s temporary departure.

After signing Bright Osayi-Samuel and Demarai Grey, the Blues are set to make other recruits in the wide areas this summer, which could be terrible news for Emil Hansson.

who had only two goals and two assists in 24 games last season, while Scott Wright may struggle for playing time when he returns from a long-term knee injury near the conclusion of the year.

Lyndon Dykes was one of Birmingham’s most eye-catching signings last summer, joining from Queens Park Rangers for a fee of £1 million, but he only scored five goals in 32 games last season, raising questions about how much he will play in the Championship, especially with increased competition for places up front following Furuhashi’s arrival.

Davies will also have to make judgements on some of those who spent time on loan last season, including Dion Sanderson, Emmanuel Longelo, and Alfie Chang, George Hall and Tyler Roberts, and as things stand, it seems likely they will all be departing once again this summer, possibly on a permanent basis.

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk