Birmingham City sent clear 'get rid' transfer message after exit claim involving Chris Davies | OneFootball

Emil Hansson recently described his summer loan exit from Birmingham to Blackpool as “sad and brutal”

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Emil Hansson has had a disappointing spell in England since his move to Birmingham City in the summer of 2024, and now, struggling with Blackpool in League One, it looks as though his time in the country is coming to an end.

Following Birmingham's relegation from the EFL Championship in 2024, the Blues did not mess around in bringing in new bodies to prepare for life in League One.

Chris Davies was probably the most important addition, with the head coach arriving at the club in what was his first job as a head coach in senior football, but alongside him were the additions of Jay Stansfield for a record fee in League One, Christoph Klarer, Willum Willumsson, Alex Cochrane, Tomoki Iwata, and Emil Hansson.

Hansson was coming off the back of a positive campaign in the Dutch Eredivisie with Heracles Almelo, scoring five and grabbing six assists in 24 appearances, and arrived at St Andrews for £1.5 million with high expectations.

However, the Swede would score just once and assist twice in 20 League One games as Birmingham were promoted, but was made surplus to requirements upon their return to the second tier, and headed back to League One on loan with Blackpool this summer, where he has failed to impress.

He has struggled to assert himself as a regular in the side under either Steve Bruce or Ian Evatt, and with the January window approaching, his time in England could be reaching a disappointing end.

Birmingham City urged to 'cut losses' with Emil Hansson

Football League World's Birmingham fan pundit, Jason, has shared their view on whether they expect Hansson to be sold sooner rather than later, and if so, how much money Blues should expect for him.

Jason said, "To be totally honest, I think they could get away with getting him off the books in January, because I don't think he's done amazingly well at Blackpool.

"If Blackpool wanted to get rid, because obviously he hasn't played for us, so he could play for another club, I think Blues would do it now.

"He's been poor, to be fair. He's just been too lightweight. You could just tell it's just a bit too much of a physical league for him.

"And to be fair, when we did start to see your glimpses of Hansson, injuries just killed him. Absolutely killed him.

"Unfortunately for him, that's why the club's moving. You just can't afford to have passengers at this point.

"So I feel for him. It looked like we were going to have a real player on our hands, but yeah, it just hasn't worked that way.

"In terms of money for him, I'd be surprised if we got a couple of hundred thousand for him. I think it will just be a case of getting him off the books, freeing up some of those wages, so then let's see what we can do.

"He's had a nightmare in England, which has probably just killed his value. And the fact that he can't stay fit. Yep, a couple of hundred thousand, get rid, cut our losses."

Emil Hansson failed to make the desired impact at Birmingham City under Chris Davies, resulting in his loan switch to Blackpool

With just one goal and two assists in 20 League One games, Hansson never made the impact that was hoped of him when he arrived in the Midlands last summer.

Indeed, his debut season with the club was marred by injuries, keeping him out of the squad for prolonged periods of time, giving others the chance to stake their claim in Davies' side during his absence.

Following his summer switch to the North West, Hansson told Fotbolskanalen, "I came back for pre-season and I had trained hard. I wanted to give it a chance. But very early on I got the message that I needed to move on. I wasn't even in pre-season, I had to train alongside. Me and a few other players. It was of course tough. But that's part of the game. They invest to get into the Premier League.

"For me it was sad, because when I left the Netherlands I wanted to go to something where I could play for a couple of years. I signed a three-year contract and that was what I assumed. It was sad, but that's life as a footballer and especially abroad. It can be brutal sometimes."

The Swede now has 18 months remaining on his current deal, and despite still being just 27, his value will have plummeted, as Birmingham will likely never recoup much of the £1.5 million paid for him in the summer of 2024.

The Blues may look to recall him this January if a buyer can be found and Blackpool are happy for him to leave, which, given his lack of impact, would be surprising if they put up much of a fight to do so.