A new update has emerged on Tommy Doyle, Birmingham City’s on-loan midfielder, following the well-documented managerial change at his parent club, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
According to a fresh report from Midlands football correspondent, Neil Moxley, via GIVEMESPORT, Blues have a seven-figure obligation-to-buy – which can be met on one clear condition – inserted within the initial deal which sent the 23-year-old midfielder from Molineux to St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on a temporary basis, while he will also last the season in the Second City amid prior suggestions that Rob Edwards was looking to cut short his loan stint after he took
Chris Davies, Tom Wagner, and the Blues players have had an extremely satisfying last month or so, with a stellar run of form at St. Andrew’s in particular key to a surge up the Championship table, as they are now just one point outside the play-offs after the first 18 games of the league season.
14 goals in four consecutive wins in B9 have undoubtedly been the most important factor behind such developments, with Watford their most recent victims on home turf, as two stunning goals from Seung-ho Paik and Demarai Gray saw Davies’ men eventually defeat the Hornets, who staged a second-half comeback in torrential West Midlands conditions.
After a slow return to the Championship, bluenoses now believe that back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League are still possible, especially since the table remains as congested as ever, with Blues only five points behind second-place Middlesbrough.
Doyle had to be patient after making the short switch across the M6 in July as one of many high-profile incomings, but it has since been revealed why the Blues courted his signature following their record-breaking promotion season, after he had a mixed first season as a permanent Wolves player.
A new update has emerged on Birmingham City’s hopes of reaching a permanent Tommy Doyle and Wolves agreement.
Given his previous experience in the Championship and Premier League, it was no surprise that the Blues were not the only team interested in signing the ex-Manchester City midfielder in the summer, though, as Football League World exclusively revealed, they would face stiff competition from top-flight newcomers Sunderland and fellow promoted side and big spenders Wrexham.
Doyle was part of a £4.3 million deal in 2024 that made his move from the Etihad Stadium to WV1 permanent via an option-to-buy under Gary O’Neil. Yet, with the appointment of Vitor Pereira 12 months ago, a lack of physicality – according to the Portuguese – saw the ex-Sheffield United and Cardiff City loanee’s gametime substantially reduce.
With Pereira subsequently replaced by ex-Wolves defender and coach, Edwards, in November, it was initially claimed that Doyle, who, according to prior reports, could be acquired permanently by Blues in the summer of 2026 for £10m, could be recalled by his parent club in January amid their managerial reshuffle.
Local journalist, Daz Hale, then revealed that there was no recall clause agreed within the deal between the two West Midlands rivals, offering relief to those at St. Andrew’s during a period in which the deep-lying midfielder has started to firmly showcase his top-level quality alongside Paik in the base of Davies’ midfield.
Moxley’s aforementioned report has since confirmed up those accusations that there is no recall option in the deal, implying that the Old Gold and Black will not be able to see the Mancunian return to their 25-man Premier League squad.
However, a fresh revelation has also emerged, with it being reported that if Blues are to emulate Ipswich Town’s recent success of back-to-back promotions from the third-tier and into the Premier League for the first time in 14 years, they will be obligated to purchase Doyle for the price of just £5m, with the midfielder under contract at Molineux until 2028.
Tommy Doyle’s potential £5 million deal could be viewed as a bargain for Birmingham City.
Of course, there is no assurance that the aforementioned figure will be paid as an obligation, as Birmingham must end their lengthy top-flight exile for such feats to occur as things stand.
However, if they are successful, the £5 million fee may be viewed as a good deal, considering Doyle has already made almost 50 Premier League games in a short time.
In recent weeks, the England youth international’s set-piece deliveries, in particular, have been spot on for the Blues, assisting Tomoki Iwata from a corner in the 4-0 win over Portsmouth on November 1st, and setting up Marvin Ducksch for the towering German’s headed equaliser against West Bromwich Albion last week.
As a result, the midfielder might have a significant impact on his own future, with many regarding the Blues as strong play-off hopefuls based on recent results, though they will seek to improve their away record against a much-improved Southampton team on Saturday.
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