"Buying their way" - Pundit tips Birmingham City to follow Ipswich Town lead ahead of January | OneFootball

Comparisons can be drawn between Ipswich and Birmingham, who are going back in for one their summer targets in January.

Birmingham City have enjoyed an emphatic start to life in League One, with the West Midlands club perched top of the league table with 29 points after 12 matches.

The Blues entered the 2024/25 season as overwhelming favourites for promotion, given their record spending spree. The club reportedly spent between £20-25m on players, while their wage bill now stands at over £16m, as per The Athletic.

Chris Davies' side will be looking to replicate Ipswich Town's exploits, who achieved successive promotions to go from League One to the Premier League in two seasons.

The West Midlands club already have one eye on the January window and are reportedly ready to go back in for Hannover 96's Phil Neumann.

Birmingham City already thinking about the Championship

Although Birmingham were relegated from the Championship last season, there was an air of positivity around the club heading into the new League One season.

What separated the Blues from the rest of the division was their ability to flex their financial muscles. The West Midlands club smashed the League One transfer record in signing Jay Stansfield for more than £10m, as per BBC Sport.

Carlton Palmer believes that Birmingham City are already thinking about life back in the Championship and are buying their way out of League One.

"Birmingham City sit top of League One, and are hell-bent on getting back to the Championship at the first attempt," Palmer exclusively told Football League World.

"They're already thinking about life in the Championship. They sit three points clear, 29 points, four points clear of the playoff positions. You could say that they're buying their way out of the league. They've already spent nearly £30 million pounds in the summer."

Birmingham City going back in for Hannover's Phil Neumann

Birmingham are reportedly set to make an improved bid for Hannover's Neumann in the January transfer window, as per Football Insider. The Blues had a £3.4m bid rejected for the centre-back in the summer, as per Sky Sports Germany, but are preparing a fresh bid in the next window.

Palmer continued: "The League One outfit had a £3.4 million offer knocked back for Neumann in the summer, and they’re intent on going back. They want to strengthen in the centre-back area, despite Chris Davies and his Birmingham side only conceding 11 goals in 12 games so far.

"Neumann, 27, has continued his strong form for Hannover in the Bundesliga, having featured in all of his teams’ 11 games so far this season, and there’s expected to be an improved offer.

"I think what it is, you've got to think about, well, hang on a minute, we're going to get promotion, and then you've got to make wholesale changes.

"They're already bringing in players who can play and are proven that can play in the Championship, like Willum Thor Willumsson, Christoph Klarer and then Jay Stansfield. All these players are capable of playing in the Championship."

Birmingham City hoping to replicate rare Ipswich Town feat

Ipswich are playing Premier League football for the first time since 2002, having achieved back-to-back promotions from League One. Since the formation of the Premier League, only Southampton, Norwich City, Manchester City and Watford have managed the rare achievement, as per The Athletic.

While the figures are not identical, comparisons can be drawn between the Tractor Boys and the Blues. In Ipswich's League One promotion season, the club were the division's biggest spenders, as per The Athletic.

Birmingham will be hoping to pull off the same feat and are already well on their way to achieving half of that goal, with the club flying in League One.

Palmer continued: "Birmingham City are probably looking at the formula that Ipswich Town brought to the table. Eleven of the side that got promoted from League One played in the Championship promotion side going to the Premier League.

"If you buy good quality, then you put yourself in that fantastic position. That is what Birmingham City are doing, and I expect them to spend big again in the January transfer window."

Birmingham are well on their way to achieving the first step in their project of returning to the Premier League. The Blues have a three-point cushion at the top of League One and have only lost one match.

In planning an improved bid for Neumann in January, the West Midlands side are following in Ipswich's steps by spending their way out of the division.

With the Blues' squad already containing a vast amount of Championship quality, thoughts of successive promotions will be at the forefront of Birmingham's minds.