Birmingham City will attempt to compete for promotion to the Premier League next season.

The Blues finished 10th in the Championship standings during their first season back, nine points behind the top six.

However, the Midlands club will be hopeful about their chances of making the play-offs in 2026/27, especially now that the competition has two more clubs for the first time.

Birmingham’s owners, Knighthead Capital, have made significant investments in the first team squad in recent transfer windows, therefore the summer will undoubtedly be hectic.

Davies will look to bolster his team as the club prepares to return to the top division for the first time since 2011.

However, the Championship side may need to prioritise player sales in order to generate the revenue required to spend this summer.

Birmingham closes in on Kai Wagner’s sale

According to journalist Tom Bogert, Birmingham is close to finalising a deal to sell Kai Wagner, and Birmingham Live claims that Wagner’s sale might take place within the next few days.

The defender is expected to return to the Philadelphia Union, barely six months after moving from MLS to St. Andrew’s.

The 29-year-old moved to English football in the January transfer window earlier this year, for a reported £2 million.

Meanwhile, Kyogo Furuhashi is also expected to leave St. Andrew’s after a disappointing debut year with the club.

Davies has explained why Furuhashi and Wagner did not attend the team’s pre-season friendly on Wednesday, implying that they are leaving.

He underlined that more information will be released over the next 48 hours, indicating that their departures are imminent.

“Kai and Kyogo, things will be clearer with those two in the next couple of days,” Davies said.

“There’s been a few things happening in the background and that will become clearer in the next 48 hours but tonight wasn’t a night to include them.”

Wagner was expected to be the first choice at left-back in the upcoming season, but he is now close to returning to the United States.

How Birmingham City fans feel about Kai Wagner’s sale

Birmingham fans are profoundly unhappy by Wagner’s upcoming exit, especially after he established himself as a major member of Davies’ side in the second half of last season.

Birmingham open their new season on August 15 with a trip to Sheffield United.

Kai Wagner’s departure is a setback for Birmingham.

Wagner had three assists in 16 Championship appearances last season and was a valuable addition in the January market.

Given his signing fee of £2 million, he appeared to be a fantastic deal, but his time with Birmingham will be cut short.

Fans will be disappointed to lose such a reliable player, but it’s evident that he has a reason to desire to return to Philadelphia, and there may be nothing that can change his decision.

It is now on to Birmingham to sufficiently replace him in the team, and fans will want to see the club continue to spend money from previous transfer windows to do so.