Birmingham City is one of the most ambitious clubs in the EFL, particularly since Tom Wagner and Tom Brady took control of the club, as Chris Davies’ team prepares for another promotion push next year with some crucial arrivals this summer.

Birmingham are a club on the rise, according to their own admission, and it is tough to argue otherwise given their recent league finishes and everything going on behind the scenes.

A new state-of-the-art 62,500-capacity stadium is in the works, and over £50 million has been spent on the playing team in the last two years alone, culminating in a 111-point League One record finish in 2025 and a 10th-place finish in the Championship the previous season.

Dael Fry has arrived on a free transfer from Middlesbrough, while Jhon Solis’ loan move from Girona has been converted into a permanent deal worth roughly £6 million, as Birmingham prepare to return to the Spanish market to fill a critical position.

Birmingham City are interested in Real Oviedo’s goalkeeper, Aaron Escandell.

Ryan Allsop started in goal for St Andrews last year after impressing as Davies’ number one in League One, but he was eventually replaced by Brighton and Hove Albion loanee James Beadle.

Beadle, 22, made 35 Championship games on loan from the Seagulls and impressed greatly. Birmingham have apparently expressed an interest in bringing the England youth international back to the club this summer, but face competition from Bolton Wanderers.

It goes without saying that the Blues need a new reliable goalkeeper for next season, and according to Radio Televisión del Principado de Asturias, they are interested in Real Oviedo shot-stopper Aaron Escandell.

Escandell, 30, has played for Granada, Cartagena, Las Palmas, and, most recently, Real Oviedo during his career, and despite being relegated from La Liga last season, he has impressed between the sticks.

According to FotMob, Escandell stopped 5.96 goals more than projected previous season, made the most saves in the division (148), and completed 821 passes, demonstrating his ability to play out of the back.

Certainly, a goalkeeper’s first responsibility is to prevent balls from entering the net, and he has demonstrated that he is a good shot-stopper at the highest level, with his ability to play out of the back an appealing addition.

Carlos Vicente joined Blues from Deportivo Alaves in the January transfer window, and now that Solis has left, the club is trying to take advantage of the Spanish market once more by signing Escandell.

The Spaniard’s contract has a reported €5 million (£4.2 million) release clause, which is a hefty sum for a 30-year-old goalkeeper moving to a second-tier club. Birmingham will most likely be able to pay it, and this story will be closely watched.

Chris Davies must prioritise a new goalkeeper this summer, amid Aaron Escandell links.

With Escandell in Birmingham’s sights, a new number one is undoubtedly next on Davies’ shopping list.

A loan return for Beadle is not out of the question just yet, but with the Spaniard now in the running, it appears Davies is broadening his options between the sticks for the Blues.

He will understand as well as anyone how a safe set of hands can lift a team and enable them over the finish line in games, whereas an average or below-average shot-stopper cannot.

It remains to be seen whether Escandell is the right person to lead Blues to the next level, as he could be about to make his first international move in his career.