Birmingham City were highly busy in the summer transfer window, as Chris Davies sought to assemble a side capable of achieving another promotion.

Under its ambitious owners, Blues intend to be in the mix for the play-offs, and while they were inconsistent earlier in the season, the Midlands club is in with a chance of finishing in the top six.

Further investment was required in January, and to the credit of the recruiting team, several of Birmingham’s arrivals in the previous two windows have had an impact on the pitch.

However, one significant addition has not panned out, with Kyogo Furuhashi failing to meet expectations following his £10 million transfer from Rennes.

Kyogo Furuhashi is facing an uncertain future with Birmingham City.

The 31-year-old’s great goal record with Celtic in Scotland sparked a lot of optimism.

However, he has yet to reproduce that in the Championship, with the Japanese international netting only one league goal in 26 outings.

As a result, he has dropped down the pecking order under Davies, to the point where Furuhashi was an unused substitute for three games in a row before being forced to miss the final few due to injury.

That has sparked conjecture about his future, although a return to Celtic did not happen in January.

Even though the window has closed, MLS clubs will continue to look for players for another month, and Davies did not rule out Furuhashi moving to America.

So Furuhashi may have played his final game in a Blues shirt, and when asked about the likelihood of moving the striker at a time when he cannot be replaced, Birmingham fan analyst Jason Moore believes he will not be missed.

“It’s difficult with Kyogo because we’ve reached the point where I don’t care what we do with him.

“If he stays, that’s terrific; he’s a player we can rely on when we’re chasing anything. If he leaves, okay, bye, we’ll cut our losses and see you later. Looking at it from his perspective and for the sake of his career, just leave now.

“He’s behind three, four, or possibly even five players, so just go. You will not be able to make it work at Birmingham for the sake of your career; you have had numerous possibilities. With all the opportunities he’s squandered, he should simply leave.

“It’s possible that he is at a point in his career when this level isn’t appropriate for him. MLS isn’t as good as the Championship, so it could work for him. So, go play somewhere where you can be the number one striker, because that will not happen at Birmingham.

“It’s a shame it didn’t work out, but it’s best for everyone if we part ways. If not, remain as the fourth or fifth option.

Kyogo Furuhashi has lost Chris Davies’ faith at Birmingham City.

Most would agree with this assessment, as Furuhashi’s tenure with Birmingham has not gone well.

As previously stated, he cannot claim that he was not given an opportunity, and the truth is that Furuhashi passed up far too many opportunities. Who knows what would have happened if he had scored earlier in his career, such as in his debut game against Ipswich, when he hit the post.

However, the lack of goals had a significant impact on Furuhashi’s confidence, and Davies made it a priority to recruit a replacement number nine in January.

August Priske appears to be a wise acquisition, and the fact that Jay Stansfield was on the bench against Norwich highlights Birmingham’s current depth.

So, until injuries occur, it’s difficult to see where Furuhashi fits in, and if a reasonable offer is made for a player who will almost certainly earn a decent wage, Birmingham should cash in.