Birmingham City simply can’t secure Brighton summer transfer | OneFootball

James Beadle has had a mixed campaign for Birmingham following his loan from Brighton, so a return next season seems unlikely at the moment.

Birmingham City’s defeat to Middlesbrough last time out has left them in a difficult position as they chase a play-off place.

With an eight-point deficit to Wrexham, who occupy the final spot in the top six, Blues know that there is little room for error during the run-in if they are to make it successive promotions, although there is a feeling that the Second City outfit's play-off aspirations have now slipped out of grasp.

It’s important to remember how far Birmingham have come under their new owners, but the level of ambition and investment means there is an expectancy around St. Andrew’s, so the spotlight will be on Chris Davies if the team do fall short.

Chris Davies facing James Beadle dilemma ahead of crucial Birmingham City period

For now, though, the immediate concern is getting back on track and closing the gap to the Red Dragons, with Blues next in action against Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

Given the manner of the loss against Boro, it’s fair to say that Davies might consider making changes to the XI, and one player who could be under pressure to keep his place is keeper James Beadle.

There was a lot of excitement when Blues sealed a deal for the stopper on loan from Brighton last summer, and it was easy to see why.

Beadle had done well out on loan at Sheffield Wednesday in the past, and he joined Birmingham on the back of winning the U21 European Championship with England, where he was named in the team of the tournament.

But, it’s fair to say that Beadle has underwhelmed at times this season, which included a poor display against Boro, even if it should be noted that he had a collision with Jonathan Panzo in the first half that may have had an impact.

The stats also back up that Beadle has struggled, with Fotmob showing that he is -4.1 for goals prevented this season, which puts him in the bottom 15% of the division.

As well as that, his save percentage rank is average, with Beadle only really excelling when it comes to high claims.

Perhaps surprisingly, his distribution isn't particularly strong, and it was especially poor against Boro, and that added to the nerves and mood around the ground as he regularly turned over possession.

Birmingham City will need to address their goalkeeping department this summer

With that in mind, many Blues fans are hoping to see Ryan Allsop get the nod for the remainder of the campaign, and it’s clear Davies has a decision to make.

Yet, no matter what happens for the rest of the season, it seems apparent Birmingham will have to address their goalkeeping department in the summer, whichever league they’re in.

It would be foolish to write Beadle off at this stage of his career, as he is only 21, and, given his pedigree at youth level, it would be no surprise if he went on to have an excellent career.

However, whilst Birmingham must always have one eye on the long-term, it’s clear from the owners that instant success is the priority, as it’s all about reaching the Premier League and establishing the club among the elite.

To do that, Blues will need a new keeper in the summer, as they may not have time to wait to see how Beadle develops.

Given his age and potential, Brighton will want a decent fee for the keeper, and the reality is that Beadle hasn’t done enough to warrant any sort of significant outlay, or even renewing his loan if that was a possibility.

So, it will be intriguing to see what happens over the final months of the season, but, unless there is a remarkable turnaround, you would expect Birmingham to be in the market for a new number one in the summer.