Birmingham City will not be regretting £750k Man Utd transfer right now | OneFootball

Ethan Laird has been a major part of the Blues' success in League One this season

Birmingham City raised plenty of eyebrows with their summer transfer business before the current season got underway, but it is a deal made back in the summer of 2023 that has been one of the ones to come up trumps over the past six months.

There were audible gasps at the price tags associated with the likes of Jay Stansfield, Christoph Klarer and Willum Willumsson for the third tier outfit during the previous off-season, with the Blues breaking all sorts of League One transfer records to bring players through the door.

But in Ethan Laird, they have a modestly priced defender who is proving his quality this season, and could well be an asset at St Andrew’s for years to come, as the Midlands side target a rise back up through the football pyramid.

Arriving from Manchester United 18 months ago at a cost of just £750,000, the 23-year-old has shone after getting a consistent run of games under his belt this season, as he plays his part in the tightest defence in the league.

Ethan Laird form justifies £750,000 Manchester United deal

After making the move from Old Trafford in the summer of 2023, Laird only managed three league games for his new employers before being sidelined for the best part of three months with a hamstring injury.

John Eustace had been replaced by Wayne Rooney by the time the defender returned to action, before the whirlwind of destruction at St Andrew’s left the Blues plummeting towards the bottom three, with Laird helplessly caught up in the spiral upon his return to action.

This season has been a different story though, with the young defender proving to be a constant menace down the right flank for the League One leaders, with his energy and dynamism proving too hot to handle in the third tier.

His Old Trafford education is clear to see, with a composure on the ball that is head and shoulders above most other players in his position in the division, and wouldn’t look out of place in any Championship side.

Electric pace on the flanks and wicked delivery with either foot has made him a thorn in many a team’s side this season, with a couple of assists against Wigan Athletic last month proving just what a difference he can make when galloping towards the final third.

While he has proven he can keep attackers at bay, Laird has proven just what an impact he can make at the other end of the pitch as much as in a defensive role under Davies, with his forays forward seeing him net against Exeter City and Newcastle United in recent weeks.

With a return to the Championship looking more and more likely with each passing week, City already look set up for an assault on the second tier next season, with Laird one of a number of players well-equipped to pose a threat in the top rung of the EFL.

Birmingham City already have Ethan Laird contract insurance

Having played across the EFL during a number of loans away from Manchester United in his youth, Lard already has over 120 league appearances to his name at the age of 23, and knows exactly what is expected of him on a weekly basis.

While injuries prevented him from playing the whole of the previous campaign, City saw that there was plenty of potential in their right-sided star, with a contract extension coming his way after just a single year at the club.

The Blues elongated Laird’s potential time at St Andrew’s until the summer of 2028 last October, as he continued to flourish under the new management of Davies, who has made the most of the talented full-back at his disposal.

That deal secures Birmingham’s position if any interest in Laird comes about in the next few transfer windows, and given his current trajectory, there is no reason why he can’t be a consideration from top clubs in the years to come.

While it will be the likes of Stansfield, Klarer and the midfield maestros that continually get the credit, Laird goes about his business efficiently on the right-hand side, and will be a major part of the Blues side for quite some time if all goes to plan.