Birmingham City must rival Wrexham in shock £10m+ transfer race for Lyon star | OneFootball

Pavel Sulc could solve Blues' creative issues in midfield but is wanted by the Red Dragons

Birmingham City have made a slower start to the Championship season in terms of points accumulated than supporters at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park would have wanted, which has increased the urgency for the club to have a strong end to the transfer window from some sections.

It has been made no secret that Blues are looking to return to the Premier League as soon as possible under the ownership of Knighthead Capital Management, which, in itself, brings its own pressures.

12 months ago, many were caught in a wave of optimism that had Birmingham featuring heavily in predictions for at least a play-off place in the Championship, but such feats didn't come to fruition despite two high-profile recruitment drives in the West Midlands.

This summer, spending hasn't been anywhere near as big in terms of the fees parted with, and only six players have arrived in B9 so far, which has left some concerned, particularly when it comes to helping plug obvious gaps in Davies' squad - in particular, the need for a creative and attack-minded midfielder.

The 'number 10' role has been a problem throughout Chris Davies' spell at Birmingham City

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In truth, the attacking midfield position hasn't been the only 'problem position' for Davies in his two-year stint as Birmingham manager thus far, with left-back also falling into said category.

However, earlier this window, Blues were able to compensate for the departure of Kai Wagner back to Philadelphia Union with the signing of Kristoffer Lund.

But, even during the club's record-breaking League One campaign of 2024/25, Davies utilised multiple players behind the main focal point of his attack, such as Alfie May, Jay Stansfield and Kieran Dowell, with the latter plugging the gap for the second half of the season on loan from Rangers.

However, this issue didn't go away last season, as we saw Marvin Ducksch feature in the '10' role, as well as Stansfield again, and whilst both ended the campaign on double-figures, their overall form wasn't exactly consistent throughout the season, and at the start of this term, Paik Seung-ho has been utilised in this particular role after normally featuring as a deeper operator.

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There is still one week remaining in the transfer window, meaning many scenarios can change and develop, but so far it has been a frustrating period for Birmingham in their quest to resolve a key issue.

The Second City outfit were, alongside with Middlesbrough and Stoke City, heavily linked with one of the most high-profile creators the Championship has seen in recent seasons, Joel Piroe, before the Suriname international opted to join title favourites, West Ham United, in a deal which will turn permanent next summer.

However, the experienced attacker wasn't the only link between the club and Leeds in this transfer window, as Joe Gelhardt, who was instrumental in helping Hull City return to the Premier League last season with 15 goals, appeared to be on the cusp of a Championship return, before Blues were pipped to his signature by the Tigers.

Since then, Birmingham have been credited with an interest in Cesar Gelabert, who contributed to 12 goals for Sporting Gijon in La Liga 2 last season, but it remains to be seen if the club are to press forward for the 25-year-old's signature.

Birmingham City should rival Wrexham's audacious bid for Lyon's Pavel Sulc

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In recent times, we have seen the Championship transfer market cause plenty of shockwaves, and that is now appearing to be the case with Wrexham plotting an audacious move for Lyon and Czechia playmaker, Pavel Sulc.

The 25-year-old has, unsurprisingly, earned admirers from clubs in higher divisions after continuing his own upward trajectory for the Ligue 1 side after signing from Viktoria Plzen last summer for approximately £6.4m.

In just 39 games at the Groupama Stadium, the 24-year-old has already contributed to 22 goals, and started the Ligue 1 season with a customary assist in a 2-0 win away to Toulouse on Saturday afternoon.

In the top five European leagues during 2025/26, Sulc ranked in the top one percentile in comparison to his positional compatriots when it came to non-penalty expected goals too, which further showcases his ability to create goalscoring chances at will, even if the assists side of his game can still be worked on.

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Naturally, there has been an impetus on Birmingham recruiting Championship-ready players this summer after last season's transfer activity, and whilst Sulc doesn't fall into that category, a statement could be made with this addition.

At his previous two clubs, the playmaker has been in red-hot form, and whilst it would likely make him a guaranteed starter in the vast majority of Championship sides, Bluenoses could be sceptical over splashing the cash on another marquee signing.

But, as just highlighted, in comparison to the hefty fee parted with to secure Kyogo Furuhashi's services from Stade Rennais - also of Ligue 1 - 13 months ago, the creative midfielder hasn't hit a lull for some time, and will also be buoyed after featuring at the FIFA World Cup for his nation.