Birmingham City: Familiar obstacle unlikely to halt Barnsley, Peterborough deals - View | OneFootball

Promotion rivalries should not impact two key Birmingham City deals

Birmingham City are determined to prove that relegation from the Championship was just a bump in the road by immediately forcing their way out of League One.

For the first time since 1995, the Blues will compete in the third tier of English football this season. Yet the prospect of a wide-open league has been made less daunting by the club’s proactive approach this summer.

When the aftermath of relegation is poorly managed, teams can become divided, and a sense of crisis can begin to build.

Through retaining several key players, appointing highly rated manager Chris Davies and securing top transfer target Alfie May, there has been no sign of a relegation hangover impacting the Blues.

So, while it might feel like Birmingham are entering unknown territory, the West Midlands club are well-placed to justify League One favouritism this time around.

Tasked with delivering promotion at the first time of asking, Davies will hope to shape his squad further before the start of the new campaign.

The West Midlands side have been linked with a move for Peterborough United’s Harrison Burrows. The arrival of the left-back could accelerate the departure of Emmanuel Longelo, who might be on his way to Barnsley following an accepted bid.

While teams are often reluctant to do business with direct promotion rivals, these transfers may be completed with little pushback as the transfers are set to be mutually beneficial for all involved.

Burrows could be Birmingham-bound

Birmingham are reportedly bidding to fend off Championship interest in Burrows, who has been pinpointed as an ambitious defensive target this summer.

The highly coveted 22-year-old contributed with six goals and 14 assists for Peterborough last season and was instrumental in the Posh’s run to a fourth-place finish in League One.

Off the back of his impressive campaign, the left-back attracted interest from Championship sides Preston North End and Sheffield United.

But Birmingham will hope to outmanoeuvre these second-tier sides by selling Burrows on their promotion goal this season. The Blues have the financial muscle to challenge for his signing and must convince him of Davies’ long-term project.

Historically, Peterborough have opted to sell their best assets to the highest bidder. They would be expected to sanction Burrows' transfer to Birmingham if the asking price is met.

As a result, the youngster's transfer could prove to be unusually frictionless for a move between promotion rivals; Birmingham could benefit from Peterborough’s profit-led business model in picking up another statement signing.

Longelo's move will benefit Barnsley

As Davies looks to sculpt his Birmingham squad, clear out the deadwood and make room for new additions, Longelo has been deemed surplus to requirements.

The full-back has found himself out of favour and in line for a summer move to promotion contenders Barnsley.

According to Sky Sports, Darrell Clarke’s side have had a bid accepted for the 23-year-old defender and the ball is now in their court to complete the deal.

They should benefit from a player with Championship experience under his belt. Longelo featured 20 times in all competitions for Birmingham last season and should seamlessly fit into the vacant left-back position at Oakwell.

During his time in the West Midlands, he was sporadically used in a more attacking left-wing role and, with more freedom to push forward down the flank, in a team expected to dominate possession, he could prove to be a major attacking asset for the Tykes this season.

Such movement across League One is almost unheard of, particularly when you consider that Birmingham, Peterborough and Barnsley will all have top-six ambitions at the very least. However, in this case, the deals make sense for all involved, to a certain extent.

That familiar obstacle of cross-divisional transfers doesn't feel like it will impact this particular chain too heavily.