rewrite this title Birmingham now enter talks to sign “brilliant striker” who earns £47k-p/w

Birmingham City are back in the second tier of English football and have now entered talks to sign a striker who could aid their bid for another promotion, according to a report.

Birmingham City prepare for life in the Championship

The Blues stormed to glory in League One last season and appear primed to continue their ambitious project at St Andrews after Jeremy Dale was appointed their new chief executive after stepping into the role on an interim basis in January.

Speaking after hiring Dale permanently was confirmed, Birmingham chairman Tom Wagner stated: “As we enter an important new chapter for Birmingham City, including our return to the Championship, we’re pleased to appoint Jeremy as CEO.

“The club has made significant progress under his leadership in recent months and we are excited for his continued leadership as we maintain our focus on executing our long-term strategy and building a strong foundation for the future.”

While things are going swimmingly off the pitch, Birmingham want new additions and Demarai Gray is closing in on a return to his old stomping ground after nine years away from the West Midlands.

Peterborough United’s Kwame Poku has also been linked with a move to the Blues, though Nottingham Forest’s Lewis O’Brien appears a more likely signing for Chris Davies as he tools up for a season where he will look to exceed expectations.

Earning automatic promotion may be a difficult task, but there is every chance the Blues could put up a serious fight for a playoff slot in light of their strong squad and positive momentum from last term.

Now, they have entered talks with a prolific goalscorer who has become an intriguing possibility on the market this summer.

Birmingham in talks to sign Kyogo Furuhashi

According to reports in France, Birmingham have entered talks to sign Rennes striker Kyogo Furuhashi despite the Japan international only joining the Ligue 1 outfit in January.

German clubs are also said to be keeping tabs on his situation after making only six appearances for his new side during the second half of last campaign, where he failed to score.

£47,000 per week earner Furuhashi shot to prominence in European football at Celtic and registered 85 goals in 165 matches for the Scottish giants before his move to Rennes.

However, he is now free to leave Habib Beye’s side after failing to make a sustained impact and could now find himself linking up with former teammate Tomoki Iwata at St Andrews.

Furuhashi, previously labelled a “brilliant striker” by John Hartson, hasn’t been a prolific force in front of goal of late. Still, there is every chance Birmingham could enter the picture to secure promotion if they were able to land someone of his calibre.