It has been revealed that Birmingham City had considered a potential transfer for Brentford’s experienced centre-back, Ethan Pinnock, before ultimately securing the services of Jonathan Panzo on a short-term contract.

Birmingham Live has disclosed this information, as Blues were among the most active clubs in the Championship during the winter transfer window that has since concluded.

The ambitious ownership of Knighthead Capital Management has been well-documented for some time, and Birmingham is currently on a mission to regain their Premier League status as soon as possible. There is still a possibility that such fortunes can be achieved in the remainder of the current campaign.

Chris Davies’ team has experienced a largely successful January and early-February period following an inconsistent first half of the season following their return to the second tier as League One champions. This period was largely successful in terms of the major squad reshuffle that was conducted at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, as well as the recent extension of their unbeaten run in all competitions to six games.

Blues have been unable to secure a spot in the top six as a result. However, they will be optimistic that their ongoing impressive transfer activity, which included the acquisition of six new players and the conversion of Patrick Roberts’ initial loan from Sunderland to a permanent agreement, will provide them with the necessary advantage. The Championship table remains highly competitive as the season approaches its final quarter.

In the period preceding the window, it was extensively documented that Davies had encountered a frustrating period in terms of availability within his defensive department.

The early termination of Eiran Cashin’s loan from Brighton and Hove Albion raised concerns that Birmingham would not be able to add a fourth centre-back to their roster, despite the swift acquisition of Kai Wagner in the opening days of the window.

Those concerns were resolved during the concluding hours of Deadline Day. Nevertheless, it is evident that Panzo was not the sole center-back who had caught the attention of the club’s transfer department.

Birmingham City pursued Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock in advance of the late Jonathan Panzo, as evidenced by the Rio Ave agreement.

Birmingham were left with three senior center-back options after Football League World exclusively revealed that Cashin would be recalled by the Seagulls before spending the duration of the season with Blackburn Rovers.

Phil Neumann and Jack Robinson are two of the summer recruits. Nevertheless, the former Sheffield United player is presently on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue, despite the fact that he had been able to address his disastrous start to the season, which included two red cards and an own-goal in his first four Blues appearances.

Neumann had also been the subject of unexpected exit rumors; however, he has remained a Blues player for the duration of the season, as he continues to play alongside the club captain, Christoph Klarer.

Pinnock’s name was undoubtedly making the rounds on various social media platforms, as many Bluenoses had speculated about the identity of a new center-back if the club were to press forward in their bid to add further experience and depth.

Birmingham Live has since reported that the 26-time Jamaican international was identified. Brentford has only played six times this season under the newly appointed Keith Andrews.

Prior to the 32-year-old’s transfer to Leicester City, the Blues were also linked with a move for Jamaal Lascelles of Newcastle United.

Nevertheless, they were able to verify the six-month agreement they had reached with Rio Ave, which resulted in Panzo signing a six-month contract.

Panzo has made 34 Championship appearances in the past, and in May 2022, he won promotion through the play-offs with Nottingham Forest. Additionally, he has played for Coventry City and Cardiff City.

Birmingham City will not experience significant transfer regret in the wake of the Ethan Pinnock revelation.

Despite the fact that Pinnock would provide Blues with a wealth of experience in the immediate term, the club and its supporters will not experience significant transfer regret in this regard.

Davies, Tom Wagner, and Craig Gardner have undoubtedly addressed the critical areas that required additional depth and quality, while simultaneously reducing their wage cost by as many as 12 fringe players or outcasts.

The Blues will face Leicester City at home on Saturday.