AC Milan take Birmingham City transfer action - Chelsea could be left behind | OneFootball

Blues are at risk of losing the highly-rated Aurelien Guernier at present

Birmingham City are just a matter of weeks away from beginning their pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026/27 Championship campaign - one where expectancy is bound to be rife at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

This time 12 months ago, many Blues fans and outsiders were caught up in a wave of hype which surrounded the Second City outfit under the management of Chris Davies, although the season as a whole certainly took a different path to what was expected upon their return to the second tier as League One champions.

Birmingham's American owners, Knighthead Capital Management, have certainly been seen pumping millions of pounds into several aspects of the club, with the end goal a swift return to the Premier League, having now gone 15 years outside the top-flight.

Davies has also been heavily backed in the four transfer windows he has overseen as manager since being appointed 24 months ago, and many would expect the 41-year-old to receive similar treatment in the summer window if the club are to be serious about their promotion credentials.

The Blues boss has, at times, been the subject of major criticism, naturally during poor runs of form, with the last of those coming in March, and subsequently ending his side's chances of making the play-offs.

However, whilst some high-profile names have, in recent days, become the subject of exit links in B9, Davies is also at risk of losing one of the club's most highly-rated academy graduates, who looks likely to go on and forge an impressive career based on the sides interested.

AC Milan and Chelsea join race to sign Birmingham City prospect Aurelien Guernier

Birmingham's academy system has certainly produced many great talents over the years, with the most notable of those coming in the form of Real Madrid sensation, Jude Bellingham, who featured 44 times for his local side in 2019/20 under Pep Clotet, as he now very much remains the 'poster boy' of England's World Cup dreams across the Atlantic under Thomas Tuchel.

Unsurprisingly, the 22-year-old is seen as an inspirational figure to those now undergoing the same pathway at the club's Knighthead Performance Centre academy base in Wast Hills, Kings Norton.

Guernier has been one of very few throughout Davies' two-year stint in charge to get close to the first-team fold, having made a matchday squad in the Championship for the first time in the 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers on March 11th.

The 'exciting' winger has played regularly for both the club's Under-18s and Under-21s, and at just 19 years of age, is the subject of an intriguing transfer saga.

Indeed, it was initially claimed by Rudy Galleti that whilst Blues were looking to tie Guernier down to fresh terms, two clubs in the Premier League and Ligue 1 had submitted offers to the winger on a free transfer.

L'Équipe then reported that one of those French sides was RC Strasbourg, and now it has been revealed by Luca Bendoni that Chelsea, who, like the Alsace club, are owned by BlueCo, are interested in a deal for the dual nationality ace, as well as Serie A giants, AC Milan.

It is apparent that the Italian side are also at a more advanced stage, as they are planning to proceed with an offer after holding initial talks.

Aurelien Guernier could be easily swayed by Chelsea, AC Milan transfer switch

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While Birmingham's future ambition is there for all to see, the truth of the matter is they are still a long way off reaching the levels of Chelsea and AC Milan in many departments, meaning the likes of Guernier could be easily swayed by a move elsewhere.

Davies recently explained that he felt not many of the club's current academy players were performing to the standard required that would allow first-team exposure, whilst some supporters have begged to differ on that front.

The London and Italian clubs, of course, have a rich history when it comes to enhancing the development of many players, even if they are to eventually source regular gametime elsewhere.

As such, this could be a case of a highly-rated winger slipping through the net at St. Andrew's - a case all Blues fans and staff will hope to avoid.