Birmingham City have struck transfer gold with their very own Rolls-Royce star - View | OneFootball

Birmingham City's Christoph Klarer has looked a class act since joining from Darmstadt this summer.

The sheer scale of Birmingham City’s transfer activity meant some new signings were always going to go under the radar.

Thanks to the deep pockets of the ownership group, led by Tom Wagner, Blues went on a spending spree that had never been seen before by League One standards - and it probably won’t be seen again.

Naturally, the record-breaking capture of Jay Stansfield was one that caught the most attention, with the third tier outfit paying in excess of £15m to land the attacker.

Even with that price tag, Stansfield looks as though he will be a smart bit of business, but he wasn’t the only shrewd signing made by Birmingham this summer, with Christoph Klarer already emerging as a top centre-back for the club.

Christoph Klarer enjoys brilliant start with Birmingham City

The idea that a League One club could sign a 24-year-old who played 30 times in the Bundesliga last season seems unrealistic, but that’s exactly what Blues did when they signed Klarer from Darmstadt, who had admittedly been relegated in the 23/24 campaign.

Nevertheless, Blues spending around £3.5m to sign Klarer would normally be big news, but with all the other deals going on, it didn't attract the same hype.

However, it hasn’t taken Birmingham fans long to realise they have a star defender on their hands, with the big Austrian settling in immediately.

At 6ft 3, Klarer was always going to have the physicality to cope with English football, but it’s surprising to see just how quickly he has dealt with the rough-and-tumble of League One.

Many clubs employ different tactical approaches to the ones he would’ve been used to in Germany, but Klarer has eaten up the strikers at this level with ease so far. When it comes to the basic defending, such as heading and clearing, he is perfectly capable.

Yet, what has made Klarer’s start at St. Andrew’s so impressive is his all-round game.

Christoph Klarer is suited to Chris Davies’ approach

Chris Davies is encouraging a specific style of play with Blues, and it can be difficult for a centre-back.

Firstly, they need to be good on the ball, as the whole setup is about retaining possession, and an 89.3% pass success rate shows that Klarer is very composed with the ball at his feet.

Along with skipper Krystian Bielik, the duo are key to starting attacks, as they get the ball quickly into players higher up the pitch, and often with quality.

As well as that, the new boss demands a high line as Blues look to press with intensity to win the ball back in the final third.

Whilst Klarer isn’t the quickest central defender, the reality is that the lack of pace hasn’t been a problem, as his superb positional play and ability to read the game means he doesn’t get caught out.

Christoph Klarer can be a key part of this Birmingham City journey

We may only be eight games into the season, but you could forgive Birmingham fans for dreaming about what the future will hold.

They are on an exciting journey, with Wagner teasing that the ambitions of the club will ‘blow your mind’, as they target more than just promotion to the Championship and then the Premier League.

Therefore, players will come and go along the way, as Blues continue to strive for the best to fulfil those objectives - but Klarer's form suggests he could remain an influential figure for a very long time.