Birmingham City has recently been one of the most high-profile clubs in the EFL, hence the bulk of transfers made at St. Andrew’s at Knighthead Park are closely scrutinised by both outsiders and supporters.

Blues are striving to improve in every sector, particularly on the pitch, thanks to the continuous support of American investors Knighthead Capital Management.

Birmingham had previously lasted the longest stretch of time in the division of any club, but with significant stagnation and regression following their relegation from the Premier League 15 years ago.

However, as the owner, Tom Wagner, 56, has done and will continue to do everything he can to change the culture in this section of the West Midlands.

Following a turbulent initial period in the boardroom, Knighthead has undoubtedly strived to learn from those mistakes and give stability, as has been the case in terms of management, with Chris Davies consistently supported despite calls from supporters for a change in the dugout.

The 41-year-old was braced for his debut season as a Championship manager a year ago after another high-profile recruitment campaign, but despite another earlier in 2026, the Blues finished 10th.

Many people expect the Second City team to make a much more persistent push for the playoffs in 2026/27, especially after its expansion. However, this has coincided with feelings of frustration in the early stages of the summer transfer market.

Birmingham City confirms exit of highly rated Aurelien Guernier following AC Milan deal.

Indeed, several high-profile figures, like Demarai Grey, Marvin Ducksch, and Jay Stansfield, the club’s record signing, have all been linked to departures.

Birmingham have officially revealed that they have lost the services of “exciting” left-winger Aurelien Guernier to Italian giants AC Milan, before the 18-year-old could make a single appearance in Davies’ first-team squad.

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The announcement comes after a period of heated speculation in which Blues reportedly sought to sign the dual nationalist (England/France) to a new contract, although RC Strasbourg and Chelsea were also interested in a deal, given both teams are owned by BlueCo.

Guernier appeared 25 times for Birmingham’s Under-18s and Under-21s in 2025/26, scoring three goals and adding three assists.

The youngster, who has been with the club since the Under-7s age group, was also named on the bench for the 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers on March 11th.

Birmingham City supporters are divided as Aurelien Guernier joins AC Milan.

Birmingham’s academy at the Knighthead Performance Centre in Wast Hills was granted category one certification just a year ago after a thorough inspection by the Professional Game Academy Audit Company, following three years in category two.

This allowed Guernier to compete in Premier League 2, while a section of the club statement at the time read: “Moving up to Category One status means the club’s academy teams will play against some of the best academy sides in the country in the elite games programme, while also being able to attract top talent both regionally and across the UK”

Unsurprisingly, one admirer who reacted to Guernier’s departure noticed this.

Davies recently explained why so few youth players have been promoted to the first team at Blues, although it is fair to say that not everyone agrees.

Another supporter argues that such developments are why Birmingham must secure their next director of football job following Craig Gardner’s departure.

He was not the only fan who criticised the club’s present development plan.

However, not everyone was left regretting Guernier’s departure, as others claimed to have been unaware of his accomplishments in the academy.

Another Blues supporter brought up the departures of Amari Miller and Trevan Sanusi, the former still without a club after being released by Leeds United 13 months ago, and the later has yet to make a senior appearance in his career after joining with Newcastle United.

Finally, no one knows if the Blues will come to regret Guernier’s departure, and the divided attitude at this point is understandable.

However, it will be a blow if Guernier is to impress on the continent, especially given the Blues have spent so much time focusing on academy development in recent years, as evidenced by the progress of players such as Jude and Jobe Bellingham and Jordan James.