Birmingham City will have ironic transfer frustration involving John Eustace | OneFootball

The former Blues boss could permanently acquire Dion Sanderson's services once again

Birmingham City have certainly seen a fair amount of change when it comes to the club's fortunes and overall landscape, as they continue to aim high under the ownership of Knighthead Capital Management.

It has been well-documented that Blues are no longer satisfied with purely making up the numbers in the Championship after several years of stagnation and an eventual fall into League One for a solitary season. Instead, the West Midlands side have firmly set out their intentions of a swift return to the Premier League under the management of Chris Davies and the financial backing of Tom Wagner and Co.

Results have certainly been mixed thus far, with Birmingham residing seven places, but just five points outside the play-off places at present, having endured a frustrating month of December so far.

Indeed, inconsistency has been a buzzword associated with how Blues have approached the opening 21 games of the season, especially when comparing results at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park and on the road, whilst the same opinion is certainly relevant when assessing the fortunes of the 14 permanent or temporary incomings across the summer transfer window.

A second high-profile recruitment drive under Davies saw Blues also showcase a ruthless side, as players who had featured somewhat heavily, or hardly, during their record-breaking campaign last term, were moved on permanently or on a loan basis.

Centre-back Dion Sanderson certainly fell into said category as he reunited with former Blues boss, John Eustace, for a third time at Derby County.

As such, there is an obvious irony which surrounds the news that the 26-year-old could soon become a permanent member of the Rams squad for just six figures.

Just over two years ago, Eustace was the man in the hotseat at St. Andrew's as the aforementioned Wagner completed an initial 45.64% takeover of the club from Birmingham Sports Holdings Limited.

At the beginning of his first, and only full season in charge in B9 in 2022/23, many tipped Blues for relegation in what was the 46-year-old's first full-time managerial role.

Indeed, cash had, very rarely, been splashed to a large extent by Blues in the years to that particular point following their relegation to the Championship 12 years previous, meaning Eustace had to work within his means to mould an adequate squad.

After joining on loan from local rivals, Wolves, in the final months of Lee Bowyer's tenure, Sanderson returned to St. Andrew's under Eustace and formed a strong partnership with Arsenal loanee and current Celtic defender, Auston Trusty, despite the fact Blues had finished 17th.

With fresh investment then on the horizon, it seemed a no-brainer that the Wednesfield-born man should be acquired permanently, which eventually transpired to the tune of £2m on a four-year deal.

However, the 2023/24 season has since proven to be the beginning of the end for Sanderson's time at Blues, particularly following Eustace's controversial sacking in October 2023, when he was replaced by Wayne Rooney.

The West Midlands side would gradually slip down the table and into League One for the first time in 30 years, with Sanderson receiving criticism for his performances under six permanent or temporary managers/head coaches, also seeing the captaincy stripped away from him in the final weeks of the campaign.

A foot injury would then see him miss out on regaining a regular slot in Davies' first-team plans. But, his last league appearance for Blues came against Northampton Town 13 months ago, with a 96th-minute error allowing Mitch Pinnock to equalise for the Cobblers.

With Christoph Klarer and then-Rangers loanee, Ben Davies in inspired form, it was no real surprise when Sanderson reunited with Eustace at Blackburn Rovers in January, before the latter moved to Pride Park weeks later in controversial circumstances.

As it transpires, again, the duo have since reunited, with Eustace, the defender and Birmingham once again all relevant to an initial loan agreement in August - one which could be made permanent in a matter of weeks for just £350,000, according to Alan Nixon.

Whilst Blues have certainly moved on as a club, and the £2m acquisition of two years ago has clearly failed, it will no doubt irk supporters that their former boss could be instrumental in seeing a loss in excess of £1.6m become registered in the club's accounts.

At this stage, a permanent agreement would clearly benefit all involved, and no one more so than Sanderson, who has, in truth, failed to settle at any club for a prolonged period in his career thus far.

The centre-back has swiftly become a firm favourite in DE24 for his performances in a back three alongside Matt Clarke and Sondre Langas, with Eustace aware, more than most, of how to get the defender performing to his maximum capability, which included his first goal for the club against Watford last month.

Nixon's aforementioned report did hint that Sanderson could return to Birmingham if there was a breakdown with the aforementioned agreement. However, it is fair to assume that the West Midlands side would, once again, look to conclude a fairly quick transfer exit for the centre-back, who would struggle to edge his way past Klarer, Phil Neumann and current backup, Jack Robinson.