How Birmingham City doubled their millions with Man Utd transfer agreement | OneFootball

Birmingham City paid Manchester United £1.5 million for Tahith Chong in 2022 yet more than doubled their money for the player just a year later.

When Birmingham City paid Manchester United £1.5 million for Tahith Chong in 2022, it only took them only one year to more than double their investment.

Birmingham City didn't have a very strong reputation for financial management under their previous owners, but in the transfer market they could still turn a profit on a player.

The Blues had been going through hard times for a few seasons prior to Tahith Chong's arrival at the club. The player first arrived there on a season-long loan in 2021, and after an impressive first season with the club they decided to sign him on a permanent deal.

But a year later, Chong was on his way again, this time to Luton Town, and such was the impression that he'd made that Birmingham were able to more than double their money in the process.

Tahith Chong had a lot of promise but couldn't break through at Man United

Tahith Chong was a product of the Feyenoord youth system before transferring to the Manchester United academy at 16 years of age in 2016. United had high hopes for the player, who could play both as a midfielder or on the wing, and he made his full debut for them in January 2019 against Reading in the FA Cup.

But Chong couldn't get himself established in the first team at Old Trafford, and made just five Premier League appearances for them over the next season and a half. At the start of the 2020-21 season, he was sent on a season-long loan at Werder Bremen, though this was curtailed the following January, with him moving to Club Brugge for the second half of the season instead.

Birmingham City saw past injury problems to more than double their money on Tahith Chong with Luton Town sale

Upon his return from Belgium, Chong was sent to Birmingham City on loan, but a serious groin injury resulted in him returning to Old Trafford to recouperate in November 2021. It was four months before he returned to St Andrew's, resuming from where he'd left off before another injury forced him to miss the last month of the season.

Chong's injury woes didn't dissuade the Blues from his talents, and when the end of the season came about, they paid United £1.5 million to make his transfer permanent.

They had seen enough during his interrupted loan stay with the club to justify making his time in the Second City a permanent one, and that decision was vindicated from both a footballing and financial perspective.

Chong enjoyed a successful season in 2022-23, making 38 appearances for them and scoring four goals along with supplying a further five assists.

But at the end of that season, which ended with Birmingham finishing 17th in the Championship, an offer came along that they couldn't refuse. Luton Town had just been unexpectedly promoted into the Premier League, and they were prepared to pay £4 million for his services. Birmingham accepted the offer, more than doubling their original £1.5 million investment.

Chong has enjoyed regular first-team football over his two years at Kenilworth Road, despite two successive relegations. The Dutchman could well be on the move this summer following Luton's shock relegation to League One, and it's likely that the Hatters - in complete contrast to Blues, of course - would make something of a loss on theri investment.

And now that Birmingham are under new ownership, their financial troubles are already becoming a rapidly receding memory.