Birmingham City must push to sign striker who scored 98 goals in 134 games, he could cause serious damage: View | OneFootball

Highlights

footballleagueworld video of the day

Wayne Rooney’s wait for a win as Birmingham City manager goes on, after their recent defeat at Southampton.

The former Derby County and DC United manager has now taken charge of three Birmingham games, and he has yet to pick up a single point.

It’s been a tough start for Rooney, as he’s come into a club where there was a lot of anger after the sacking of John Eustace; therefore, he has big shoes to fill, and the teams he’s had to face have been in good form.

So he will be hoping he can end this winless run and pick up his first points as he tries to live up to the expectations that have been placed on him.

Obviously, Rooney has taken over a squad that isn’t his, and it comes as no surprise to see the Blues linked with several players, as Rooney will eye re-shaping the team in January. The latest player they have been linked with is forward Josef Martinez.

Rooney is well known to the MLS world, as he played for DC United and went on to manage them last season.

Therefore, it may not come as a surprise to see that he could be returning to the States to try and improve his Birmingham team.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Rooney is keen on signing Martinez, as he is set to leave MLS side Inter Miami in December when his contract expires.

Nixon goes on to add that Rooney is a huge fan of the Venezuelan, but there could be a few obstacles before a deal is agreed.

Firstly, Premier League side Luton Town are also reportedly keen, as are Brazilian side Internacional.

Furthermore, Nixon also claims a lot could depend on the personal terms that Martinez will be looking for, as Birmingham are said to be weighing up their finances until they get some of their big earners of the books.

Why must Birmingham City seal a deal for Josef Martinez?

Martinez started his career in his home country with Caracas FC before joining Young Boys in 2012 and then moving to Torino two years later.

After three years in Italy, Martinex made the move to fresh MLS side Atlanta United, initially on loan but later permanently, and he remained there until January 2023, when he joined David Beckham's Inter Miami.

The 30-year-old has experience in Europe and the MLS, but wherever he has played, he has been a proven goalscorer.

Obviously, the standard between Europe and the MLS is different, but Martinez has been outstanding in America, with the 2018 season seeing him score 31 goals and the following campaign getting 27.

Martinez was only with Inter Miami for a short time, but again, he continued what he does best, as he netted 12 goals in 40 appearances. In the recent MLS campaign, he averaged 1.6 shots per game, 0.1 dribbles, and a pass completion rate of 85.4%, which led to him averaging 0.4 key passes per game, as per WhoScored.com.

The forward becoming available on a free transfer is something that Birmingham need to take notice of, and given that he has scored 176 goals in 398 games, he is a player who knows how to find the back of the net.

Of course, the worry would be whether he could do it in England, but Martinez seems to have performed wherever he has played, and he could be a significant signing for Birmingham if they got it over the line.

The Blues are struggling at the top end of the pitch, with their only exemption being loanee Jay Stansfield. So, it would be good for Rooney to add a more proven forward to the line on a permanent basis.

Obviously, it will come down to Martinez’s wages, but if Birmingham can offload some players and get this deal over the line, while he isn’t the long-term answer, he could be a great short-term solution for Rooney and co.