Exclusive: Birmingham City backed to strike new Sunderland transfer deal | OneFootball

Sky Sports Pundit Don Goodman has spoken exclusively to Football League World about Patrick Roberts' loan move from Sunderland to Birmingham City.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has backed Birmingham City to make their loan deal with Sunderland for Patrick Roberts permanent.

Roberts was a hit for Sunderland as they won promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2024-25 season, and he's now being backed to make his subsequent loan move to Birmingham City permanent.

The 28-year-old winger has been a regular starter for the Blues this season as they chase a second successive promotion into the Premier League, and Birmingham are now being urged to tie down a deal to keep hold of a player who's performed creditably for them so far this season.

"His pedigree at this level is undeniable" - Goodman backs Birmingham to make Roberts loan deal permanent

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has explained that Birmingham City fans will be wanting their club to tie Roberts down to a permanent deal at St Andrew's: "Yes, I can absolutely understand why Birmingham fans would urge the club to make Patrick Roberts' signing permanent.

Goodman sees Roberts as a provider of goals rather than a scorer, but that this could benefit Birmingham as they push for a Championship promotion place: "His pedigree at this level is undeniable. Last season, plenty of assists for Sunderland. He probably should score more goals with the ability that he's got, but he does seem to be more of an assister than a goalscorer."

And he feels that Roberts' style of play particularly suits the way that the Blues want to go about playing football: "He's already on the scoresheet and has got a couple of assists for Birmingham, but more than that, he's very good in the way that they want to go about football with that aggressive high price. He fits into that really well and he's been really impressive in a Birmingham City shirt."

Patrick Roberts has already spoken of how Birmingham City match his own ambitions

Patrick Roberts was a regular in the Sunderland team that won promotion at the end of the 2024-25 season, making 45 league appearances for them last season and then featuring in all three of their play-off matches.

Roberts signed for the Wearsiders in 2022 at the end of seven years with Manchester City, during which he was loaned out to six different clubs, including Norwich City, MIddlesbrough and Derby County.

And the player has been a success since his move to St Andrew's, with particularly strong performances in their home wins against Portsmouth, Millwall and Norwich City.

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail at the start of December, Roberts admitted that he hasn't been thinking too much about his future: "I don’t think too much into it. I’ll give my all to Birmingham to achieve the objectives they want to achieve and what will be will be. I just enjoy playing football and I’m lucky enough to still be playing football. What will be will be."

But it's also clear that Roberts feels that Birmingham are a club whose ambitions match his own as a player: “Birmingham want to be on that same line. It’s an ambitious club on the up and I’m an ambitious player so it was a no-brainer to come here."

Missing out on a shot at the Premier League at Sunderland will have been a disappointment to Roberts, but with his contract with them due to expire at the end of this season, there's an opportunity for Birmingham to tie down someone who's already demonstrated their value on the pitch this season.