Birmingham City in advanced talks over striker swoop, deal could reach £10.3m.
L’Equipe reports that Birmingham City are in advanced talks to sign striker Kyogo Furuhashi from Stade Rennais.
Birmingham City are in an exciting era in their history, looking to disrupt the major players in English football. BCFC’s owners are affluent and ambitious, both for the team and for the Second City as a whole.
Tom Wagner and his consortium have been substantially invested in the Blues over the last year, and that has continued this summer with some more big signings.
A new striker appears to be on the shopping list as well, given the amount of talk surrounding transfers. Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi has been widely connected with a move to St. Andrew’s, and it appears that deal is becoming increasingly likely.
According to a new report from L’Equipe, Birmingham City are in early talks with Stade Rennais about signing the 30-year-old, and an agreement is near to conclusion. The deal could help Stade Rennais repay the nearly €12 million (about £10.3 million) cost they paid to sign Furuhashi from Celtic in January. That includes add-ons and extras.
It is another substantial investment for BCFC, however it is the first in this window so far.
WHO WAS THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGERIAL DEPARTURE?
A statement deal from Birmingham City
Furuhashi may have struggled to make an impact in France since joining in the winter, but his signing would be another big deal for Birmingham City.
The 30-year-old joined Stade Rennais from Celtic in January and has yet to score or assist in six appearances. He has been playing alongside former Blues youngster Jordan James.
Furuhashi’s spectacular run at Celtic, however, makes for very interesting reading as he prepares to transfer to the Championship. In 165 games for the Scottish giants, he scored 85 goals and assisted 19 times, while also contributing five goals and two assists in 23 games for Japan.
Eye-catching early business sends Championship rivals an early message
Birmingham City aren’t considering consolidation as they go from League One to the Championship.
Their hope is that they can immediately challenge for the division’s top spot, and their early success reflects this. Tommy Doyle’s loan move is one of the summer’s most notable arrivals, while James Beadle’s arrival following a stellar 18 months at Sheffield Wednesday and U21 European Championship success with England is another statement move.
Demarai Gray’s eye-catching comeback was confirmed on Thursday, while Phil Neumann has already signed a pre-contract with BCFC. The deals send a strong message to Birmingham City’s new Championship rivals: they are not messing around.
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