Birmingham City will know that they will have to guard against complacency in order to win an instant promotion back up to the Championship, despite a lightning-quick start out of the blocks by the Blues so far this season.
Nothing is wrapped up within the first few months, but the current league standings do make for some pretty reading, with Chris Davies’ men winning nine of their 12 third-tier matches so far.
Still, Davies will know the wins will need to keep coming to ensure no blips trip his team up, with many star performers for the Blues standing out so far with the hurt of relegation instantly being brushed to one side.
Top performers for Birmingham so far
An obvious name to start with when it comes to top performers for the promotion-chasing side so far this season is Jay Stansfield, who is already justifying the lavish millions spent on him.
The ex-Fulham attacker has been a nuisance for many League One defences to keep tabs on, with the 21-year-old firing home four goals from seven third-tier appearances, alongside also picking up an assist for his troubles.
Alongside Stansfield up top, Willum Thor Willumsson has also proven himself to be an excellent purchase, having arrived from Dutch outfit Go Ahead Eagles in the summer.
The 26-year-old actually blows his teammate’s numbers out of the water somewhat, with three assists notched up alongside four strikes in league action, as the Icelandic midfielder continues to show off the class that saw him star in the Eredivisie previously.
Other masterstroke signings in through the door include Tomoki Iwata, Alfie May and Christoph Klarer to name a few, as Davies and Co struck gold repeatedly in the off-season when assembling a promotion-worthy squad, based on Birmingham’s blistering start to League One life.
There were a lack of loan buys in the summer too, with Birmingham being burnt in the past when it comes to promising loanees exploding into life away from playing in the West Midlands, like in this example.
Jeremie Boga's time at Birmingham
Jeremie Boga has since gone on to star in competitions such as the Serie A and the Europa League, but the start of his career saw him line up for Birmingham on loan away from parent employers Chelsea during the 2017/18 campaign.
Boga wasn’t a rip-roaring success playing for the Blues, but he did put in some promising performances for the then Championship outfit, with an unspectacular two goals and three assists coming his way from 33 total games.
Club played for
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
Sassuolo
102
18
10
Atalanta BC
47
4
6
OGC Nice
38
7
7
The tricky 5 foot 7 winger has since gone on to make a name for himself all across Europe in both Italy and France, with his spell in Italy with Sassuolo standing out in particular, who Boga would make 100 plus appearances for, before seeking out pastures new in Nice last summer.
He has started well in Ligue 1, with seven goals and seven assists coming his way, as Boga continues to shine despite being discarded by Chelsea as a youngster, where former Blues youth coach Michael Beale once called him a “unique” talent.
As a result of him exploding into life away from England, his value has also significantly risen since his unmemorable Birmingham days, according to Transfermarkt.
When on the books of Birmingham on loan, Boga was worth just £2m. Now, however, the Frenchman’s value has skyrocketed all the way up to a far heftier £12.5m. That is an increase of £10.5m, with the Blues left to wonder whether they could’ve got more out of the 27-year-old when he was briefly at the club.
Away from this, Birmingham’s eyes are firmly on winning promotion up to the Championship, whilst Boga aims to keep his top performances coming for Nice.
Birmingham loan star has seen his value rise by 475% after leaving
This former Birmingham City loanee is loving life at his current employers.
1 ByKelan SarsonNov 4, 2024
