Birmingham City news: Tommy Doyle talk, Louie Barry rejection, Demarai Gray transfer race | OneFootball

Birmingham City are preparing for their return to the Sky Bet Championship.

Birmingham City are preparing for their return to the Sky Bet Championship after securing an immediate promotion back out of the third tier.

The Blues paraded to the League One title under boss Chris Davies, surpassing the 100-point mark and breaking no end of EFL records as they romped to the crown at the first time of asking.

Attention has since turned to the transfer market, with a number of links and rumours swirling around the American-owned club.

Birmingham City urged to “go for” Tommy Doyle

Football League World exclusively revealed that Birmingham were leading the race for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Tommy Doyle.

The deal for the former Manchester City youngster could be worth £10m, with FLW’s Blues fan pundit urging the club to pursue the deal.

Jason Moore said: “£10 million’s not too bad in this day and age, and we’ve got the money to spend, plus all the other signings that are potentially coming in currently are as a free at the moment, so if we’ve got the money to spend.

“Especially apparently that we’ve got revenues up there with parachute payments clubs, we’ve got money to spend, so go for it.”

The move would be an initial loan, with an option to buy the Sunderland transfer target further down the line.

Demarai Gray on brink of fairytale return

Winger Demarai Gray has been linked to what would be a fairytale return to the Blues, with Birmingham World reporting that a free transfer deal is set to be struck.

The 29-year-old is said to have passed his medical in a sign that the deal is close to being completed.

He would rejoin Birmingham, where he came through the youth system a decade ago, after most recently lining up for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq.

The former Everton and Leicester City winger, who has represented Jamaica at international level, would become the Blues fourth signing of the summer.

Former QPR right-back set for Blues switch

Former QPR right-back Bright Osayi-Samuel is set for a return to England after a spell with Turkey’s Fenerbahçe.

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has reported that the deal is close, with the club setting a lofty ambition of achieving another promotion.

The 27-year-old Nigerian international has the versatility to play across the park, but will likely provide the most competition for Ethan Laird on the right side of defence.

He has over a century of appearances in the Sky Bet Championship and has competed at UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League level over recent seasons.

Louie Barry will not swap Villa Park for St. Andrews

While full-backs Alfons Sampsted and Taylor Gardner-Hickman have already linked up with the club alongside new central defence recruit Phil Neumann, there is one player who will not be joining the Blues.

That is Louie Barry, as the 22-year-old forward has opted instead to rejoin Hull City. This time penning a reported permanent deal after Aston Villa sanctioned his exit, with an injury-hit loan spell at the MKM Stadium under his belt.

Barry is set to join the Tigers this summer according to The Athletic, with a deal worth in the region of £3.5m. He was a target of Birmingham earlier in the window after impressing in two loan stints with 2023/24 League Two title winners and 2024/25 League One play-off reaching Stockport County.

Move soon to be sealed for England U21s Euros winner

James Beadle, who was between the sticks as England won a historic under-21s European Championship, is set to make a move to Birmingham.

It was reported that he had agreed a loan deal from Brighton & Hove Albion at the beginning of June, after he impressed for Sheffield Wednesday under German head coach Danny Rohl.

After an 18-month stay at the Owls, he is now back in England to seal the reported agreement that would see him spend the 2025/26 season as the last line of defence at the Blues.