'Just go now' - Kyogo Furuhashi sent Birmingham City exit message amid MLS transfer talk | OneFootball

Kyogo Furuhashi could leave Birmingham City after falling out of favour under Chris Davies.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Birmingham City were very busy in the summer transfer window as Chris Davies looked to build a squad that could go for another promotion.

Under their ambitious owners, Blues expect to be in the mix for the play-off places at least, and whilst they were inconsistent earlier in the campaign, the Midlands outfit are in with a shout of reaching the top six.

Further investment was required in January, and, to the credit of the recruitment team, a lot of Birmingham’s signings in the past two windows have made an impact on the pitch.

However, one major signing has not worked out, with Kyogo Furuhashi having failed to live up to expectations after his £10m move from Rennes.

Kyogo Furuhashi facing uncertain Birmingham City future

There was a lot of excitement surrounding the 31-year-old due to his excellent goal record with Celtic in Scotland.

Yet, he hasn’t been able to replicate that in the Championship, with the Japanese international only scoring one league goal in 26 appearances so far.

Therefore, he has fallen down the pecking order under Davies, to the extent Furuhashi was an unused sub for three games in a row before injury forced him to sit out the last few.

That has prompted speculation surrounding his future recently, but a return to Celtic didn’t materialise in January.

Even though the window is now shut here, MLS clubs are still in the market for players for another month, and Davies didn’t rule out the possibility that Furuhashi could move to America.

So, there is a possibility that Furuhashi has played his last game in a Blues shirt, and when asked about the prospect of selling the striker at a time when he can’t be replaced, it’s fair to say Birmingham fan pundit Jason Moore doesn’t feel he would be missed.

“It’s a difficult one with Kyogo, because we’re at the stage where I just don’t care what we do with him.

“If he stays, great, he is a player to come on when we’re chasing something. If he goes, well, alright, bye, we cut our losses and see you later. Looking at it from his point of view and for the good of his career, just go now.

“He’s behind three or four, or maybe even five, players, so just go. For the good of your career, you’re not going to make it work at Birmingham anymore, you have had plenty of opportunities. With the amount of chances he’s missed, just go.

“It might be that he is at a stage in his career where this level isn’t for him. MLS isn’t as good as the Championship, so that might work for him. So, go and play somewhere where you will be the number one striker because it’s not going to happen at Birmingham.

“It’s a shame it hasn’t worked out, but it’s best for all parties if we cut ties. If not, stay as the fourth or fifth choice.”

Kyogo Furuhashi has lost the trust of Chris Davies at Birmingham City

Most would agree with this assessment, as, sadly, Furuhashi’s time with Birmingham hasn’t worked out.

As mentioned, he can’t really say he wasn’t given a chance, and the reality is that Furuhashi missed too many chances. If he had scored earlier in his career, such as the first game against Ipswich where he hit the post, then who knows how things may have played out.

But, the lack of goals clearly impacted Furuhashi’s confidence, and Davies made it a priority to sign a new number nine in January.

August Priske looks a shrewd signing, and the depth at Birmingham right now was highlighted by the fact Jay Stansfield was on the bench at Norwich.

So, unless injuries hit, it’s hard to see where Furuhashi fits in, and if a suitable offer is tabled for a player who will surely be commanding a decent salary, it would make sense for Birmingham to cash in.