Transfer preference emerges for £3.5m Birmingham City man - he could leave Blues before February 2 deadline | OneFootball

The Eredivisie club are ready to swoop and are believed to have the backing of the player

Birmingham City midfielder Willum Thor Willumsson is believed to have expressed a preference over his next club, with a potential St. Andrew's exit in the offing before Monday's transfer deadline.

The Iceland international has been the subject of plenty of interest this January, with Dutch news site Gelderlander claiming he has “several” suitors.

The midfielder has fallen down the pecking order somewhat at St. Andrew’s, reduced to just five starts so far this season, although he has spent a good portion of the campaign injured.

Birmingham signed Willumsson in the summer of 2024 for a fee of £3.5m from Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles, and it could be a return to the Eredivisie for the playmaker.

Willum Thor Willumsson eyes return to Eredivisie as transfer preference revealed

According to Gelderlander, one of the sides interested in the Icelandic midfielder is another Dutch club, NEC Nijmegen.

The same source goes on to state that of the several options believed to be open to Willumsson, he has expressed an interest in joining NEC over any other potentially interested party.

The Eredivisie outfit currently sit fourth in the top tier of Netherlands, just four points behind Feyenoord in second, and two points behind Ajax in third, and are thought to also be eyeing a defender to assist their push up the league.

Willumsson has not appeared in any competition more times than the Netherlands top flight, so he would be returning to a league he knows well, should a move go through.

Willum Thor Willumsson exit would work for Birmingham City and Chris Davies

Willumsson signed a four-year deal when he arrived at Birmingham, meaning he is under contract with the Midlands club until the summer of 2028.

That puts the Blues in an incredibly strong position when it comes to negotiating a fee, added to the fact that they are still finding minutes for the midfielder, which takes away another potential leverage for buying clubs like NEC.

It does, however, feel like Birmingham could progress beyond the need for Willumsson’s services in the future, so it makes sense to cash in now while the market is still strong for him.

The end of the January window looming will raise the demand of NEC as they run out of alternative options, which should drive the price up and help cover the hefty outlays the Blues have made this winter, on the likes of Carlos Vicente and August Priske.

Willumsson was incredible buy for Birmingham to help lift them out of League One, but with interest high, selling him now could make sense for all involved.