5 free agents Birmingham City could sign ft ex-Newcastle United defender Jamal Lewis | OneFootball

FLW has looked at five free agent options Chris Davies could consider for Birmingham City

It was an extremely busy summer transfer window once again for Birmingham City and Chris Davies, with plenty of incomings made as the club looks to make an immediate mark on the Championship.

As a result of on and off-pitch developments in this part of the West Midlands at present, Blues have been able to land the services of many high-profile players who offer a great mix of potential and experience.

Following a record-breaking campaign in League One during which the EFL's all-time high of 111 points were racked up at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Davies was able to bolster an already highly competitive second tier-standard squad with the additions of Kyogo Furuhashi, James Beadle, Tommy Doyle, Demarai Gray, Kanya Fujimoto, Marvin Ducksch, Eiran Cashin, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Phil Neumann, Lewis Koumas, Jack Robinson and Patrick Roberts.

Yet, after submitting their current squad to the EFL earlier in the month, there is still a vacant spot which can be filled by a free agent capture between now and January 1.

Davies recently admitted that the aforementioned spot will only be filled if necessary, with Scott Wright and Lee Buchanan absent from the squad with long-term injury issues.

With that being said, FLW has looked at five players who Davies could consider if such developments pan out.

Josh Dasilva

Beginning the quintet is ex-Brentford midfielder, Josh Dasilva, who was released by the Premier League side at the end of last season.

At 26 years of age, the box-to-box-style figure could still offer plenty to a side harbouring ambitions of a play-off finish, especially when taking his previous Championship exploits into account.

The Ilford-born man's role in the club's run to the play-off final back in 2020 often went under-the-radar due to the attacking flair of Said Benrahma, Bryan Mbuemo and Ollie Watkins at the time, as he chipped in with 10 goals and four assists, before also accumulating nine goal contributions the following season as Thomas Frank's side were eventually promoted at Wembley.

Aside from making 36 appearances back in 2022/23 as the Bees achieved a record ninth-place finish, Dasilva's recent individual campaigns have been blighted by injuries, which could cause concern, but he would still be a top-end second tier performer if he could stay fully fit.

Jamal Lewis

As previously mentioned, it remains to be seen if Buchanan returns to full fitness in the near future, leaving Blues with a solitary natural left-back at present in the form of Alex Cochrane.

Therefore, targeting a short-term deal for Jamal Lewis could be viewed as a smart piece of business as a squad player, as the former £15m signing with Newcastle United eyes up his next challenge.

The 39-time Northern Ireland international has endured a frustrating period, with his career somewhat stagnating after initially bursting onto the scene at Norwich City. However, with the 27-year-old best known for his attack-minded attributes, which Cochrane has been given license to express under Davies, having a similar option with 100 second tier appearances under their belt wouldn't be the worst move in the world.

Jerome Roussillon

Similarly, if Davies was to target a player with established top flight experience, Jerome Roussillon is one man who could provide just that, having made over 200 appearances in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 put together.

Now at the age of 32, it would be highly unlikely that the 17-cap international starts week-in, week-out, particularly after a frustrating final season at Union Berlin after previously making a name for himself with Wolfsburg and Montpellier.

Roussillon's ability to play in a deeper or more advanced role on the left-hand side would certainly add adequate cover for the likes of Cochrane and Gray, whilst some Blues fans remain unconvinced by Koumas in the early stages of his loan spell from Liverpool.

However, it would still prove an expensive deal in terms of wages, having been on an ESTIMATED wage that equates to £25,116 per week at his previous club.

Dele Alli

Dele Alli was one man linked with a potential move to B9 earlier in the month, and the ex-Tottenham Hotspur man still remains an option to ambitious Championship clubs such as Blues.

The playmaker has endured a tough recent period, failing to kick on from being named PFA Young Player of the Year back in 2016/17 after his best years in a Spurs kit under Mauricio Pochettino.

After struggling for minutes with Everton, Besiktas and a solitary appearance with Como, Birmingham were said to be plotting a move alongside local rivals West Brom and Wrexham.

Chance creation has been somewhat of an issue in recent weeks for Davies' side, and having the services of a man who represented England 37 times whilst posting 86 goal contributions in the Premier League could help unlock defences as the season progresses, if Davies thinks they are what's required.

Nathan Redmond

Another name with strong Premier League pedigree is Blues academy graduate, Nathan Redmond, who is looking for his next club after leaving Burnley in the summer.

The 31-year-old's two-year spell at Turf Moor was also blighted by injury, and he will certainly feel he has a point to prove as he goes in search of regular football once again.

This is perhaps the least likely fit in terms of position, with Blues recently acquiring the services of Roberts on loan from Sunderland, with the new man already impressing against Stoke City and Swansea City, where he posted his first assist for Lyndon Dykes' 94th-minute winner.

However, if the opportunity presented itself for Redmond to come back to the club, one would presume he would find it extremely difficult to turn down given his previous affinity, coupled with Knighthead's lofty ambitions.

Other clubs also clearly think he can very much perform to an adequate standard at this level too, having been on trial with Sheffield United earlier in the summer.