Birmingham City’s transfer market has been sluggish thus far, as Chris Davies tries to analyse his squad in pre-season to determine what he needs ahead of his third season in command at St Andrew’s.

Dael Fry is the sole significant new arrival, with Jhon Solis making his loan move from Girona permanent this summer. While there will be a focus on improving throughout the squad, there will be a special emphasis on adding to their front areas.

Demarai Grey played as a substitute striker in parts of their pre-season success over Solihull Moors on Wednesday, as talks about Kyogo Furuhashi’s leaving continue, but the Blues need more than just a striker.

Birmingham also need a wideman after losing Ibrahim Osman to Brighton and Hove Albion at the end of his loan spell. After joining St Andrew’s in January, the 21-year-old scored and assisted twice in 17 Championship games.

Osman is yet to play for the Seagulls, but after a buy option was added to his previous loan term at Auxerre in the opening half of last season, there was conjecture that he could sign a permanent deal with the Blues this summer.

Birmingham City and Brighton and Hove Albion are in valuation impasse over Ibrahim Osman.

Last summer, Brighton’s buy clause with the Ligue 1 club was €16 million, which would have allowed them to break even after investing £16 million in Osman from FC Nordsjaelland in February 2024.

With the 21-year-old on contract for another three seasons at the Amex Stadium, Fabian Hurzeler’s side is under no rush to sell for a low price and believes they can hold out for a reasonable rate this summer.

According to Birmingham Live, such valuation is “poles apart” from what the club wishes to offer for the winger.

Chris Davies has expressed his desire to keep Osman at the club after his short-term loan spell last season.

Following the final-day tie at Portsmouth, the Blues’ manager emphasised the importance of quality over quantity additions and keeping the majority of the squad together as they enter their second season back in the Championship.

With 13 of Osman’s 17 league games coming from the start, Davies clearly admires him and believes he can assist the Ghanaian reach his full potential if he can make a move.

How Kai Wagner’s sale can help Birmingham City ramp up their pursuit of Ibrahim Osman.

One of the more interesting transfer stories at Birmingham this summer is Kai Wagner’s impending return to Philadelphia, who joined St Andrew’s from the MLS side in January and quickly became Chris Davies’ first option in the position.

However, for personal reasons, the 29-year-old wants to return to the American side, where he spent seven years before joining the Blues.

According to Birmingham Live, the Championship club expects to profit from the £2 million they spent in January to lure Wagner across the Atlantic, with a target price of £3.8 million this summer.

That money can be reinvested, and with Alex Cochrane and Lee Buchanan on reserve, Chris Davies might be set at left-back if the two stay injury-free all season.

As a result, Wagner’s fee might be utilised elsewhere in the team, such as presenting Brighton with a stronger offer for Osman.

Birmingham are no strangers to pushing their weight around when it comes to potential signings, and Wagner’s sale may open up even more opportunities to make a splash and recruit their former loanee for a large, eight-figure sum.

However, if the Blues leadership does not value Osman highly, a sale elsewhere may not make much of a difference in a pursuit, especially if Brighton wishes to maintain their current price.