Football League World
·7 May 2024
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·7 May 2024
Northampton Town's Sam Sherring has been in great form throughout this season, and with the summer transfer window looming, he could be moving away from Sixfields Stadium.
It is yet to be seen whether any potential move away will be on a free transfer or requiring a transfer fee, thanks to recent news that he has been offered a new deal with the Cobblers.
However, either way, there could be bigger clubs looming for the young defender, and Birmingham City could be one club that eye up the 23-year-old.
And with reported interest in Dion Sanderson, the Blues may end up being in the market for a defender - with Sherring being a potential perfect match that isn't too far from home.
Sherring has finally made League One his own this season, having previously had two fairly uninspiring spells in the division with Accrington Stanley and Cambridge United in 2021/22 while on loan from former club Bournemouth.
It has been an impressive rise for the youngster, having made continuous step-ups from non-league loans with Weymouth and Torquay United, all the way to Northampton's best ever League One season.
He joined the Cobblers at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, and since then has gone on to feature in the majority of matches for the side.
Appearing in 40 games last season, and 37 times in the campaign just gone, Sherring has looked like a classy defender throughout.
Any movement from Birmingham City for Sherring is likely to only be ignited if they lose their captain for this season - Dion Sanderson.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender joined the Blues permanently last summer, having spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at St. Andrew's, and has - despite Birmingham's poor league finish this season - been an impressive figure at the back, captaining the side until a recent disciplinary issue.
Despite some rocky matches that showed he still has some growing to do in the game, he has shone across the season in games such as Birmingham's victory over Leeds United early on in the season, and their more recent 3-0 thumping of Midlands rivals Coventry City.
With such impressive showings then, it is no surprise to hear that he has had recent interest from Scottish Premier League side Rangers, who do present a very tempting option.
And with Birmingham suffering relegation to the third tier, then it is likely a player of Sanderson's talents will not stick around with interest from sides that can offer European football.
Sherring will not be short of options this summer if he chooses to reject Northampton's new contract offer and instead leave the club on a free transfer.
A crucial deciding factor, though, will be which project will be more attractive to the young defender.
Northampton have looked like a team that could build toward spending the next few years in the top half of the League One table, and that will definitely make Sherring think twice if he has the thought of rejection on his mind.
If they keep their squad from this season together and make some promising moves in the market, then there is no doubt that the club where he has finally seemed to settle will be the better option this summer, as they could make a move toward the play-offs, or further.
However, there is no ignoring the financial temptation that Birmingham offer. The Blues' status in the English game is fairly rich, and, even as a League One team next season, they will present an interesting project for someone young like Sherring to join.
The Midlands-based side will be on a rebuild next season, especially if they lose stars such as Sanderson, due to a drop in division, and will likely be on a shopping spree for the best talents the lower EFL divisions have to offer to help replace departing players, and Sherring is part of that exciting group and may be top of the shopping list for Birmingham's recruitment team.
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