Birmingham City and AFC Bournemouth in chase to sign central midfielder | OneFootball

Birmingham City and Bournemouth are both keen on a deal to sign Arthur Grout from Eastbourne

Birmingham City are preparing for their second season back in the Championship after gaining League One promotion in 2025.

Chris Davies’ side finished 10th in the league in the previous campaign, coming nine points adrift of sixth place Hull City.

The Blues will be aiming to at least earn a play-off place in 2026/27, with the competition even expanding to include two more teams.

It’s been a reasonably busy summer so far at St. Andrew’s, with five signings already completed in the transfer market.

And more additions could follow in the coming weeks, with the window open until 1 September.

Birmingham will want to bolster their squad to ensure they can compete for a place in the Premier League next season.

Birmingham and Bournemouth compete for Arthur Grout deal

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It has been reported by Alan Nixon that Birmingham are keen on a deal to sign Eastbourne’s central midfielder Arthur Grout.

The 18-year-old is attracting a lot of attention for his performances for Eastbourne last season, with the non-league side commanding a six-figure sum in order to cash in on him.

Birmingham are not the only team keen on the teenager, with Premier League club Bournemouth also chasing his signature.

Eastbourne are demanding that they receive any fees up front, with no deal yet agreed with either side.

It’s believed that the non-league team are willing to let Grout go, but that they will not sell for anything less than their current demands.

Grout contributed two goals and one assist for Eastbourne in the National League South last season, with the team coming bottom of the table.

It remains to be seen what the player’s preference is at this stage, particularly as he is likely to go into the academy system at either Birmingham or Bournemouth, if a deal can be agreed.

Birmingham City’s summer signings

Birmingham have completed five signings so far this summer, including a permanent deal for Jhon Solis after his initial loan spell in the previous campaign.

James Beadle has also returned to St. Andrew’s from Brighton for another temporary stint in the team.

The Blues have signed Dael Fry as a free agent after his exit from Middlesbrough, with Luiz Vazquez and Kristoffer Lund joining on a permanent basis as well.

Davies’ side will begin their Championship campaign on 15 August with a clash against Sheffield United.

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Arthur Grout deal would be one for the future for Birmingham

Grout has performed well at a non-league level at a young age, so it’s not surprising that clubs are taking an interest in his services.

A move to Birmingham has an obvious appeal given the club’s reputation for helping younger players develop in their academy system.

However, Bournemouth have the resources of a Premier League side, and that pathway may prove slightly more appealing at this stage of his career, even with Birmingham’s ambitions to compete in the top flight.

It shouldn’t be too difficult to meet Eastbourne’s demands as both clubs should have the money available to offer six figures up front, so it will come down to which side can offer the better development path for his career.