"We will spend" - Birmingham City prediction issued ahead of January transfer window | OneFootball

FLW's Birmingham City fan pundit has given his view on whether the club will spend in the January transfer window.

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…

It has been an excellent start to life back in League One for Birmingham City.

Birmingham are playing in the third tier of English football for the first time in almost 30 years after suffering relegation from the Championship last season, but many are tipping them to bounce back at the first attempt after a summer of big spending.

While the exact amount is disputed, the ambitious Blues are believed to have spent a total of around £24 million during the course of the summer transfer window, including £15 million on Fulham striker Jay Stansfield, as owners Tom Wagner and Tom Brady provided manager Chris Davies with strong backing.

The huge summer rebuild has certainly paid off for Birmingham and they're the favourites for the League One title – though they face competition from the likes of Wycombe Wanderers and Wrexham in the battle for automatic promotion.

With that in mind, Davies could decide to enter the market to strengthen his squad in January, and the 39-year-old recently hinted that some of those struggling for game time could be set to leave the club.

"I think that will naturally reshuffle as we approach January and that’s healthy and good for both parties. There might be some that think there’s a different direction needed for them and we might agree and then something can be done," Davies told Birmingham Live.

When asked if he believes the club will spend in January, FLW's Birmingham City fan pundit Mike Gibbs said he expects further investment in the squad during the winter window to replace those who move on.

"I think we will spend money in the upcoming transfer window," Mike said.

"Chris Davies has referred to the fact that we've had players in the side who have not had as many minutes as they would have wanted, and they might want to move on, but if they do, they would absolutely be replaced.

"I'd be surprised if there wasn't any movement, so I think there will be some spending, but not a huge amount.

"A big part of that will depend on who's unhappy and who wants to leave, and I think they are very different things.

"Being unhappy is one thing, but deciding to leave - be that on loan or not - is a different matter, and I think that will dictate whether we spend a lot of money or not."

On paper, there is no obvious need for Birmingham to bolster their squad in the January transfer window.

The Blues made 10 changes for their 2-1 win at Blackpool in the FA Cup on Sunday and still managed to field a team that would be the envy of many in League One, so there is no doubt Davies has plenty of strength in depth at his disposal.

However, it has been hard for Davies to keep all of his squad happy this season and with some high-profile names at the club who have not received the minutes they would have hoped for, it makes sense for Birmingham to sanction a few exits.

With the Blues' form declining slightly over the past few weeks, January could be coming at the perfect time for Davies to give the squad a refresh as he looks to get his side's automatic promotion push back on track.