Chris Davies must complete Birmingham City attack with Barnsley transfer raid | OneFootball

Birmingham City should target a move for Barnsley winger Reyes Cleary this summer to complete their attacking options

Birmingham City remain ambitious both on and off the pitch, with the Premier League in their sights, and head coach Chris Davies should delve into League One to add the missing piece to his attacking puzzle this summer.

Birmingham, under the guidance of Chris Davies, are a team that has only been looking up for the past couple of years, and the Blues won't be looking to change that anytime soon.

Midfielder Jhon Solis' loan deal from Spanish side Girona has become permanent for around £6 million, whilst Luis Vazquez joins from Anderlecht to add another option to August Priske and Marvin Ducksch up top for around €3.5 million (£2.9 million).

Kristoffer Lund Hansen has joined on a permanent deal from Palermo to replace Kai Wagner at left-back, whilst James Beadle returns from Brighton and Hove Albion on loan once again, and Dael Fry has signed on a free transfer following his release from Middlesbrough.

However, there remain a few areas that are still in need of addressing by Davies before the end of the window, with one of those being the left flank, as the Blues ought to dive into the third tier to find the answer to their problems.

Birmingham City should plot a move for Barnsley winger Reyes Cleary to fill the void on the left flank

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Birmingham's current attacking options are likely envied by a huge portion of the rest of the Championship. With Priske, Ducksch, and Vazquez battling for the starting berth at centre-forward, Carlos Vicente and Patrick Roberts on the right, Jay Stansfield and Kanya Fujimoto at number ten, and Gray and Scott Wright on the left, Davies has plenty of room for manoeuvre in the final third.

However, whether Wright will play a significant role for the club next season, having only recently returned from injury, remains to be seen, whilst the return of Ibrahim Osman to Brighton from his loan spell has left a void on the left flank.

The Blues reportedly want to re-sign the Ghanaian winger this summer, but with no move having yet materialised, they ought to turn their attentions elsewhere, and namely to League One for Barnsley winger Reyes Cleary.

Cleary, 22, only joined the Tykes last summer on a free transfer from West Bromwich Albion, but with seven goals and 13 assists in 42 third-tier games last campaign, he has shot to prominence.

With Barnsley having reportedly rejected bids worth around £3 million already this summer, he won't come especially cheap, but there is reason to believe he could be worth every penny.

Why Reyes Cleary would be an excellent addition for Birmingham City this summer

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Cleary, having struggled to break into the first team for the Baggies, as well as enduring quiet loan spells with both Walsall and Hartlepool United, exploded into life last campaign, with 20 direct goal contributions in the third tier, in what was his first year playing at that level.

Under contract at Oakwell until the summer of 2028, Barnsley will have few intentions of selling on the cheap, but Birmingham should bite the bullet nevertheless.

Deployed on the left flank the majority of the time, where he can cut in on his favoured right, Cleary would be an ideal replacement for Osman in the Second City, and would immediately provide strong competition to Gray out wide.

Whilst the Englishman overperformed in terms of both goals and assists, it could suggest that he was lucky more often than not, and translating that luck into a higher level may not work.

However, it may also suggest that the 22-year-old is incredibly clinical, and could be an outlier at that level who is more than capable of making the jump to the Championship.

Whilst he comes with his risks, there are more reasons to believe Cleary can be a hit in the second tier than not, as Davies should complete his Birmingham attack with the addition of the winger this summer.

Chris Davies must provide competition for Demarai Gray next season as Birmingham have the Premier League within their crosshairs

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Whether it's Cleary or not, Davies must target reinforcements on the left flank this summer to provide Gray with sufficient competition.

Failure to do so would leave a gap in their attack, and drastically damage their hopes of obtaining Premier League football as soon as possible, something their current ownership regime simply won't accept.

Cleary already has the potential to be a game-changer in the Championship, and the Blues surely would be able to afford his fee and wages, despite Barnsley's high demands.

The Englishman surely won't be spending another year in League One, and Birmingham must ensure that isn't the case with a swoop as soon as possible.