Revelation emerges over £3.5m Birmingham City man - former club have snubbed transfer reunion | OneFootball

Go Ahead Eagles CEO Jan Willem van Dop has revealed Birmingham City offered them the chance to sign Willum Willumsson this month.

Go Ahead Eagles CEO Jan Willem van Dop has revealed that Birmingham City offered the Dutch club the chance to re-sign Willum Willumsson during their talks for Alfons Sampsted.

The attacking midfielder joined Blues from the Eredivisie outfit in the summer of 2024 for a fee in the region of £3.5m, which was a significant outlay considering Chris Davies’ side were in League One at the time.

It was also a big drop down for the player, who had starred in the Dutch top-flight with Go Ahead Eagles, but he will feel it was vindicated as Birmingham won the title at a canter, with the Icelandic midfielder playing an important role in the attacking third.

Birmingham City have offered Willum Willumsson to Go Ahead Eagles

However, promotion to the Championship saw further investment into Davies’ squad, and, as a result, Willumsson has found game time harder to come by.

Whilst his campaign has been disrupted by injury, the 27-year-old has made just ten appearances in the league so far, with the majority of those coming from the bench.

Therefore, it’s perhaps no surprise that Blues are open to letting him depart this month, as Van Dop revealed to Dutch media outlet Voetbal Primeur that during the club-to-club talks over Sampsted, the Championship side offered them the chance to sign Willumsson as well.

“I called my colleague in Birmingham, and he asked if we could talk about Willum. So, no matter how good a player you are, that doesn't mean you'll succeed in a league like the Championship," Van Dop said.

“There's no place there with us, and I have to be honest about that. Apparently, I think his physical condition is lagging behind, which puts a guy like that in a completely different situation.”

Birmingham City exit could make sense for Willum Willumsson and the club

Firstly, Willumsson may not appreciate van Dop making these comments public, but the reality is that you can understand why Birmingham may have offered him to Go Ahead Eagles.

He was brilliant for them a few years ago, so the chance to return may have appealed due to his lack of starts for Blues, but clearly it’s not going to happen.

That doesn’t mean a move won’t materialise before the deadline, as you can be sure there will be suitors for Willumsson now that he is seemingly available.

He played a big part in the League One title win last season, but Davies now has better options at his disposal, so, with Willumsson’s contract running until 2028, Blues will know the next two windows are the ideal time to cash in.

So, this could be one to watch in the final week of the window, although the attacker could still have a role to play during the run-in if he does stay.