Exclusive Emil Hansson update at Birmingham City will not surprise anyone | OneFootball

Emil Hansson failed to justify his £1.5m price tag to Birmingham City manager Chris Davies last season

Birmingham City's Emil Hansson joined from Heracles Almelo last summer, but has failed to justify his £1.5m price tag during his debut season at St Andrews.

As FLW exclusively revealed, Hansson has been omitted from Blues' pre-season squad and is up for sale or loan - as Chris Davies looks to reshape his existing team for the Championship campaign up ahead.

Despite being one of Birmingham's more intriguing summer signings last year, Hansson has struggled to adapt to English football. The Swedish youth international made just 24 appearances across all competitions in 24/25, managing only two goals and two assists.

Competition for places leaves Hansson surplus to requirements

The reality is that Hansson now faces even more competition for a spot in Birmingham's wide areas following the re-signing of former academy graduate Demarai Gray, who returns to the West Midlands on a free from Al-Ettifaq.

FLW's resident bluenose, Mike Gibbs, was brutally honest about Hansson's impact, telling us, "I think he has been a bit of a disappointing signing, to be brutally honest. He's been really unlucky with injuries and hasn't been able to get going."

The assessment that Hansson has been "underwhelming" reflecfts the wider sentiment among Birmingham supporters.

Despite his previous success in the Eredivisie, where he registered 16 goals and 19 assists in his penultimate season, the winger has been unable to replicate that form in English football.

His season was further hampered by multiple injury setbacks though - including a muscle injury that sidelined him for months, and another knock that ruled him out of big games including the Vertu Trophy final against Peterborough United.

Chris Davies has shown no room for sentiment with Emil Hansson

Chris Davies has also left out former skipper Dion Sanderson, Tyler Roberts, and Alfons Sampsted alongside Hansson - showing he is willing to make tough decisions as Birmingham aim for promotion.

Speaking about his squad-building philosophy, Davies has mentioned the importance of signing players with "the right character" suggesting that some of the previous signings - perhaps Hansson included - may not have met his standards.

Also, the fact that Blues are willing to cut their losses on a £1.5m investment after just one season shows the level of ambition at the club.

With Tom Wagner's financial backing and the goal of reaching the top-flight, there is little room for sentiment when it comes to underperforming players.

Hansson's uncertain future away from Birmingham City

With Birmingham now actively looking to move Hansson on, either permanently or on loan, the Swede faces an uncertain future.

At 27, he still has plenty of time to revive his career, but his struggles in England's third-tier will raise questions about his ability to adapt to any other club in the country.

Whilst foreign signings are exciting, many fail to transition to the English game - regardless of their previous success abroad. Take winger Kamil Jozwiak at Derby County as an example, who scored once in 61 games for the Rams, forcing the East Midlands outfit to sell at a loss.

Ultimately, supporters will not be surprised to see Hansson's name among the pending departures list. Yes - his injury problems obviously didn't help - but he had multiple opportunities to prove himself throughout a dominant campaign in a league he should have really taken by storm.