Birmingham City player exit imminent? "I don't have much faith" Blues will keep him | OneFootball

Aurelien Guernier's situation at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park is currently unclear

Birmingham City's off-season will certainly generate plenty of intrigue, as the club looks to continue making strides of progress towards the end goal set out by American owner, Tom Wagner.

The 56-year-old has overseen matters at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park as the frontman of Knighthead Capital Management for the past three years, and will be hoping the 2026/27 season is the one in which Premier League football can be returned to B9 after a lengthy exile.

Wagner's tenure has been full of ambition and drama in equal measure, with Blues having to take a step back into League One two summers ago in order to move forward in several aspects.

During Chris Davies' spell as manager, which is now at the two-year mark, the 41-year-old has overseen multiple high-profile spends in the transfer market, albeit not all have turned out successful.

The club have certainly showcased a desire to buy for the here and now, as well as the years to come, and that was best exemplified when they parted with a record fee to sign Jay Stansfield on a permanent basis from Fulham in August 2024.

For a long period, Davies had been working alongside director of football, Craig Gardner, on the recruitment side of things at St. Andrew's, but will be liasing with a new chief after the 39-year-old's departure was recently confirmed, and a three-name shortlist has since emerged.

However, with the summer transfer window just days away from opening, Blues also have a key decision to make involving the future of 18-year-old academy prospect, Aurelien Guernier.

Birmingham City urged to retain Aurelien Guernier amid summer transfer interest

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Prior to Knighthead's takeover in July 2023, Blues were a club subject to little investment, which led to a greater emphasis on the academy setup at Wast Hills, now known as the Knighthead Performance Centre.

Of course, the club have immensely prided itself on the well-documented success of Jude Bellingham, who has gone from strength to strength since his 44 appearances under Pep Clotet in 2019/20, now featuring as a 'poster boy' for Real Madrid and the England national team.

Current experienced winger, Demarai Gray, returned to St. Andrew's last summer after spells with Leicester City, Bayer Leverkusen, Everton and Al-Ettifaq after progressing through the ranks, whilst Jordan James - the current Championship Young Player of the Season - has excelled with Blues and beyond.

Guernier appears to be in a similar bracket at just 18 years of age, and after making the first team bench in the 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers in March, has also registered three goals and as many assists in 25 outings in all competitions for the club's Under-18s and Under-21s.

However, the "exciting" winger is attracting interest from clubs in the Premier League, Ligue 1 and beyond, with one of two French sides reportedly interested in a free transfer, as Blues look to extend Guernier's contract, being RC Strasbourg.

Issuing his thoughts on such developments, Football League World's Birmingham City fan pundit, Jason Moore, said: "It's never ideal us losing academy players, especially with the current state of the academy.

"We're not giving many of those a chance, and when we have a good player, we lose him. Not ideal, but it's just the way it is at the minute. Unfortunately, all the 'big boys' can get whatever young talent they want.

"The only thing we can do is keep working at the academy and show kids why Birmingham City's the right club for them," Moore explained.

"It's very annoying. Hopefully the club can get him tied to a deal and he can start doing stuff with Blues, but I can't see it happening.

"You see it everywhere, the big clubs taking who they want. It's half the reason why Man City's academy has become so good, as they've taken who they want," he claimed.

"Ideally, let's get him on a contract and see what he can do. But, I don't have much faith and he'll probably go."

Aurelien Guernier might see his future away from St. Andrew's after previous Chris Davies stance

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Guernier isn't the only Blues academy prospect attracting interest, with the club previously looking to tie down the highly-rated teenage goalkeeper, Alfie Smith to a long-term contract amid links with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and both Manchester City and United.

Meanwhile, further up the conveyor belt, the likes of Guernier and Zaid Betteka have been some of the closest to emerge as the next homegrown talents in the first-team, although the dual English and French prospect could see his career best served with an exit based on Davies' recent comments about those coming through the ranks.

“I think there’s players with talent and potential within that (setup). I don’t think there’s any that are really knocking at the door yet," he told Birmingham Live.

Therefore, if Guernier is to depart, it could prove to be a decision that may not pay off for Birmingham in the future.