Birmingham City are only a matter of days away from the Championship season starting with a blockbuster home tie versus Ipswich Town, kicking proceedings off in style.
Chris Davies’ Blues head into this encounter with the recently relegated Tractor Boys sky high on confidence after beating Premier League opposition Nottingham Forest 1-0 in their final friendly runout, as the usual suspect of Jay Stansfield proved to be the difference maker with a composed effort in the first half.
It will be intriguing to see how Stansfield copes with the pressures of the second tier week in week out, as Davies and Co. attempt to replicate the success story of their blistering 22-year-old with more youthful purchases before the transfer window is over and done with.
Birmingham plotting move for Premier League starlet
Glancing an eye over Birmingham’s summer activity so far, the new faces in through the door have plenty of experience under their belts.
Combined, both Bright Osayi-Samuel and Demarai Gray boast 181 Championship clashes, on top of the likes of Tommy Doyle and Eiran Cashin entering the building on loan, also being well-versed in what it takes to succeed at the demanding level.
Birmingham looked set to continue this trend by adding in ex-Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom to the camp, but a last-gasp development has now thrown a spanner in the works of this deal, as Ipswich are now set to snap up the EFL-ready marksman at the final hour.
Therefore, Birmingham could now look to clinch a deal for an exciting 19-year-old forward instead in the form of Liverpool starlet Lewis Koumas, with the Mirror recently revealing that the teenage sensation is being eyed up by Hull City, Norwich City, Preston North End, and Wrexham, alongside the Blues also reportedly plotting a loan move for the Reds attacker.
Koumas might well fancy a move to the West Midlands – knowing what has occurred for the aforementioned Stansfield since making the switch from Craven Cottage – with the young Welshman also potentially going down as an even bigger talent than Akpom if he succeeds at St. Andrew’s.
Why Koumas is a bigger talent than Akpom
The Liverpool number 67 has been thrust into the limelight from a very early age, with this well-taken solo effort against Southampton in the FA Cup being his first ever senior strike for the Reds, all while he was only 18 years of age.
Akpom, on the contrary, never took to the pressures of being a young livewire well when on the books of Arsenal, with zero senior goals next to his name for the Gunners, before forging a nomadic career for himself away from the Emirates.
He has gone on to be a feared goal machine for a select few clubs after bowing out from North London, as the 2022/23 season for Middlesbrough saw Akpom put away a ridiculous 28 goals from 38 Championship contests.
But, he has also been prone to a barren spell in front of goal across his up-and-down playing days, too, with only five goals falling into his lap for Boro the season before this breakout moment at the Riverside Stadium, on top of only scoring three strikes for ex-employers Brighton and Hove Albion, Hull City, and Nottingham Forest in the Championship.
Therefore, it might not be the worst slice of news if Akpom ends up finalizing a switch to Birmingham’s opening day opponents over linking up with Davies and Co, with Koumas yet to be bruised by the unforgiving nature of the beast, on the other hand.
Indeed, Koumas, who has been labelled as “fearless” by Wales icon Craig Bellamy for his approach play, has shone as a lively and vibrant presence all across his fledgling career to date, with Birmingham a next step that’s unlikely to faze the 19-year-old.
Stoke
49
6
3
Liverpool U18s
24
18
6
Liverpool U21s
21
9
5
Liverpool Youth League
6
2
0
Liverpool
1
1
0
He is also more likely to force his way into Davies’ XI owing to his versatile ability to play as a striker or as a winger down either flank, with a standout 29 goals in the Reds youth picture also in his favour.
Birmingham will be disappointed losing out on Akpom to a second-tier rival, but that woe will soon be forgotten about if Koumas enters the building instead.
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