A new revelation regarding the rejected transfer of Gambian winger Abdoulie Manneh from Swedish club Mjallby AIF to Birmingham City in January has emerged.

Baboucarr Fallaboweh, a Gambian football expert, has described how his compatriot felt after a proposed move to the ambitious Championship team fell through, just as he was about to sign on the signed line at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.

Birmingham’s lofty objectives under Knighthead Capital Management’s ownership have been well chronicled, with Chris Davies entrusted with finally ending the club’s long absence from the Premier League in preparation for their planned transfer to the 62,000-seater Powerhouse stadium in the coming years.

Last season, the Blues were incredibly busy in both transfer windows while facing high expectations from outsiders in terms of Championship promotion.

Ultimately, despite investing extensively in a multitude of high-profile stars, Davies’ side were unable to mount a sustained run for the play-offs, finishing 10th, which was also the club’s best finish in ten years.

However, while the club’s transfer plan appears to have shifted in response to activity in the most recent window, Manneh’s entourage is clearly dissatisfied by the events of January, as the forward’s career has already taken a different direction.

Abdoulie Manneh’s rejected transfer to Birmingham City explained

The agile winger piqued the interest of numerous clubs during his stay at Strandvallen, when Mjallby was named Allsvenskan winners for the 2025 season.

Manneh, who scored seven goals and assisted three others during the season, had already piqued the curiosity of Greek Super League heavyweights Olympiacos before his transfer fell through.

Blues had agreed to hire him in January, according to reports, but the fee was never revealed.

The four-time international was then scheduled to go to the West Midlands for a physical, but Football League World exclusively disclosed that an 11th-hour twist had occurred, and the agreement had been called off.

Mjallby then issued an official statement on the subject, but months later, Fallaboweh disclosed what caused the agreement to fail.

“I believe it was a significant psychological blow. He was close to a major move to Olympiacos before joining Birmingham City. That failed. So, as a footballer, you feel depressed,” he told Sport Witness.

“I believe he failed the medical at Birmingham City. He was psychologically down, much like Olympiacos.”

Birmingham City weren’t the only English side that followed Abdoulie Manneh’s growth.

Manneh was plainly dissatisfied with his aborted move to B9, and several other clubs, either in the Premier League or the Championship, were thought to be keeping an eye on his rise.

Last November, it was reported that the Swedish club was demanding a club record sale of around £3.6 million when interest arose from last season’s second-tier champions, Coventry City, and Stoke City.

Abdoulie Manneh’s Mjallby AIF statistics (2023-26)

Appearances

76

Goals

13

Assists

7

All stats according to Transfermarkt.

AFC Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, and Wolverhampton Wanderers were previously reported to be interested in the Gambian, who has since left Mjallby on a temporary basis.

Abdoulie Manneh’s current situation following the failed Birmingham City agreement

Manneh’s form for Mjallby in 2026 did not reach the same heights after such sad circumstances in the winter market, with only two goals in 11 games.

However, he was recently able to gain a departure from the Swedish team, joining Belgian Pro League squad Cercle Brugge in August 2026.

The 21-year-old has yet to make his debut at the Jan Breydel Stadium, despite the fact that his temporary employers have six top-flight matches on the calendar since the transfer was arranged.

However, if Manneh proves his worth to Lars Friis’ squad in the coming months, he may be able to secure a permanent switch, as the aforementioned pact includes a buy-out clause at the end of the season.