“Take it or leave it” – Birmingham City told how to handle Kwame Poku transfer saga | OneFootball

FLW's Birmingham City fan pundit has advised the Blues to take a firm stance in negotiations with Kwame Poku's agent

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

League One champions Birmingham City are on the prowl for new talent that can help them push for promotion upon their return to the second-tier next season.

Football League World exclusively reported that the Blues are willing to offer Peterborough United forward Kwame Poku a £30,000 per week salary in order to join them, however the deal seems to have stalled somewhat since then.

Birmingham aren’t alone in their interest, with Peterborough’s director of football, Barry Fry, claiming that Poku’s agent has stated that 26 clubs are vying for the forward’s signature this summer, as per Peterborough today.

Conscious not to get into a bidding war for the 23-year-old, the Blues have been careful to detach themselves from their ambitious reputation to avoid an increased asking price during negotiations.

This is a sentiment that Football League World’s Birmingham City fan pundit, Jason Moore, copies, even though he would welcome Poku to St. Andrew’s with open arms.

“Take it or leave it” – Birmingham City handed verdict over Kwame Poku saga

“I would definitely double down and try and get Poku in as he's a talented player,” exclaimed Jason. “But I'm hoping the board doesn't succumb to this new Birmingham City tax we have now, just because we’ve got ambition and a bit of money.

“So I'd put an offer down, show him the project and show him where we're trying to go as a club. A take it or leave it type of deal. I don't think our board are mugs in terms of being taken advantage of and the club is now data-led in terms of targets.

“If Poku doesn't come through the doors, then I’ve got more than enough confidence in the board and the recruitment team, that they've probably got four more targets potentially after Poku. He’s a great player and we'd love to have him.

“But if he doesn't want to take the money and his agent's leading him down the wrong path, then so be it. I'm sure there are plenty of other good players out there that we can go and get.

“I think most of it's just agent talk. The agent is trying to get him as much money as he can and potentially trying to get himself as much money as he can.

“Birmingham, especially last season, paid very little on agent fees. So I would definitely double down, but I don't want us to get taken advantage of just because we've got a bit of money.”

Birmingham must be careful over how they approach the Poku deal

The Second City side arrive in the Championship with quite the reputation, following their record-shattering League One campaign.

Coupled with an ambitious ownership group, the Blues have made it clear that they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, laying down a marker with a summer of heavy spending in 2024.

As a result, when Birmingham make their interest known in certain players, the selling clubs naturally raise their asking prices.

Therefore, Chris Davies’ side must be cautious approaching the Poku deal.

If they give in to his agent’s demands, they set a precedent that other clubs will follow and use against the Blues in negotiations.

This means that if Birmingham have to miss out on Poku for the sake of keeping their integrity intact, it might be the better move in the long term. If the club are going to challenge for promotion in the Championship next season, they will need to bring a raft of players in, not just one star.

In the end, a take it or leave it approach may just be their best bet.