Chris Davies has found £6.9m Birmingham City solution with Jhon Solis | OneFootball

Jhon Solis has been a welcome addition to the Blues ranks

Birmingham City's start to 2026 has seen a sense of belief return to St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park that a play-off finish can be achieved in the final weeks and months of the Championship season.

That certainly was the case in the lead-up to Blues' frustrating goalless draw in Tuesday night's stalemate against West Midlands rivals, West Bromwich Albion in B9 on Tuesday night.

All is not lost, though, for Chris Davies and his reshuffled squad. Despite playing a game more than several second tier rivals as a result of the aforementioned fixtures rearrangement due to Birmingham and the Baggies' upcoming FA Cup commitments, the Second City side are just one point behind sixth-place Wrexham with 14 league encounters still to play.

Not many would have foreseen that the club would have been in this position so suddenly, particularly after they were left languishing in 17th after their last defeat in all competitions, which came against Watford by a 3-0 scoreline on New Year's Day at Vicarage Road.

It was well-documented in the weeks before, and during the now-closed winter transfer window, that the Blues boss had to rectify several areas within his squad which needed bolstering with further depth and quality.

Six new faces made their way through the door in B9, as well as Patrick Roberts seeing his loan switch from Sunderland being turned permanent, whilst a multitude of fringe players exited in the hope of much-needed personal gametime which could not be guaranteed.

Throughout the first half of the season, it became a hot topic of discussion that whilst Blues have a handful of strong technicians and ball carriers in the middle of the park, they were certainly too easy to play through on their travels.

Step forward Colombian midfielder, Jhon Solis, who has certainly proven his worth to Davies' side in just a matter of appearances, meaning it would be no shock to see the 21-year-old become a permanent member of the Birmingham ranks in the summer through one of two ways.

Jhon Solis has been a welcome addition to Birmingham City's midfield ranks

As has proven to be the case with several signings made throughout the era of Knighthead Capital Management's ownership at St. Andrew's, plenty of hype surrounded the arrival of Solis - initially on a loan basis - which was confirmed hours before the 1-1 draw at Swansea City on January 17th.

Despite being just 21 years of age, the 10-time youth international certainly has plenty of pedigree and potential, showcased by links to Brighton and Hove Albion, Brentford and West Ham United during his days with Colombian top-flight side, Atletico Nacional.

Solis' European breakthrough then came with La Liga side, Girona FC, where he also made five appearances in the UEFA Champions League last season, further highlighting how much of a coup it was for Birmingham to strike an agreement ahead of Mexican side, Tigres UANL.

The 6'2" figure has been at B9 for less than one month, and has already become a strong presence at the base of Davies' midfield alongside Paik Seung-ho and Tommy Doyle.

In just five outings, Solis has already averaged 4.4 recovery tackles, won over 50 percent of his ground and aerial battles, as well as rarely being beaten in a one-on-one midfield battle.

After impressing hugely against Oxford United on January 31st, Davies stated exactly why he was targeted in the window, saying: “I’ve been impressed with him. The physical side of English football will suit him because he’s got legs, he’s got strength, he’s happy to put his foot in and he’ll win his headers. Those off-the-ball bits, he’s got all that.

“I like the qualities he has. He’s definitely not one of those where you wonder if he’s quite right for England, he’s got the raw materials to be a success here.”

Those qualities were once again on show against Leicester City and West Brom at the start of a three-game week for Davies' side, and Solis will hope to further showcase his potential against Premier League Leeds United on Sunday lunchtime.

Birmingham City should have Jhon Solis in their long-term plans amid transfer clause

With Solis already in a rich vein of confidence, Blues have certainly become more sturdy in midfield, which previously wasn't always the case.

As Davies alluded to, the all-round combativeness and composure which he possesses is certainly well-suited to the English game, and it would be a smart move for the club to already be thinking about what the future holds.

At the time of his loan agreement, it was reported that Blues would pay Girona approximately £500,000 for a loan fee until the end of the season, and that Solis could complete a permanent transfer worth £6.9m in the summer as a result of two clauses.

The first of those is that Blues decide to buy Solis outright for the aforementioned fee, or that the midfielder automatically signs after making 11 appearances.

With Paik suffering a second shoulder blow of the season against West Brom, Solis' energy will certainly be needed even more so in the short-term as Davies waits to learn the extent of the South Korean's issue, whilst he is only six more outings away from triggering the clause.