How Kai Wagner has reacted to Birmingham City transfer - "goosebumps" reveal issued | OneFootball

The German full-back became Blues' first addition in a critical transfer window

Birmingham City's newest recruit, Kai Wagner, has revealed that his transfer talks with the ambitious Championship side gave him "goosebumps" after his switch from Major League Soccer outfit, Philadelphia Union, was confirmed on Friday evening.

It has been an extremely inconsistent opening portion of the season for Blues and Chris Davies, with many expecting the Second City club to be in a much stronger position in the second tier standings at this moment in time.

Birmingham were promoted in remarkable and record-breaking fashion as League One champions last season, amassing 111 points in what was Davies' first season in a full-time managerial role.

However, those feats are becoming less relevant in the eyes of some Bluenoses heading into the New Year, as their side have gone winless in their past seven Championship matches, stretching back to a narrow 2-1 victory against Watford at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park on December 1st.

Ironically, it was Javi Gracia's in-form Hornets who inflicted Blues' sixth defeat in their last seven games away from the West Midlands on New Year's Day, with Thomas Ince scoring a hat-trick for the Hertfordshire outfit, whilst other results across the round of fixtures saw Davies' side slide further down the table into 17th place after 25 games played.

The club's transfer plans were widely reported before the current winter window opened earlier in the week, with Football League World exclusively revealing that a new left-back was at the top of Davies' list of priorities, before Football Insider claimed that a powerful midfielder and another striker will also be targeted.

It was initially reported by US-based journalist, José Roberto Nuñez, on New Year's Eve, that the deal for Wagner would be taking place, before Florian Plettenberg later revealed that the German full-back would join in a deal worth €2.3m (£2m).

And, after penning a two-and-a-half year contract that will run until June 2028, the 28-year-old told official club channels of how excited he was to aid a crucial and exciting period in Birmingham's 150-year history.

Wagner will be providing Birmingham with a much-needed alternative at left-back alongside Alex Cochrane, whilst FLW's aforementioned report revealed that Lee Buchanan is expected to depart the club on a loan basis in an attempt to rebuild his match fitness after 12 months on the sidelines through a serious ACL injury.

The Geislingen an der Steige native's arrival has been met with plenty of excitement, having previously been named in the MLS' Best XI on two occasions, including last season, where he accumulated two goals and 10 assists across all competitions.

Whilst Blues supporters are rather excited about seeing Wagner strut his stuff in royal blue, the former FC Augsburg and Schalke 04 youngster stated that the club's long-term ambitions, which include the upcoming 62,000-seater Powerhouse stadium and Sports Quarter complex.

“I’m really excited to look forward to this chapter,” said the defender. “At the beginning of December we had some small talks, a nice Zoom call. They told me about the whole project, and it gave me goosebumps straight from the beginning.

“I spoke to the coach, and I was really happy about that too, to hear his insights. He told me what he wants me to bring to the pitch and how I can help the team.

“I’m a player who always tries to go forward and attack, but who also likes to defend," he explained.

“It’s a hard-working club, a club where the fans are really into it and that’s really important as I’m a hard worker myself.”

“I’m really happy to be here and I’m ready to get going," Wagner added.

Kai Wagner's namesake's plans have been a major factor in Birmingham City's transfer activity

Wagner's namesake and Blues majority owner, Tom, has constantly reached for the stars since his initial acquisition of the club back in July 2023, with the likes of NFL icon, Tom Brady, also on board.

It has been well-documented that the seven-time Super Bowl winner is often involved in transfer persuasions in this part of the Midlands, and now the former Union defender has become their first acquisition from across the Atlantic.

Whether the German will still be at the club by the time they aim to move into the Powerhouse remains to be seen. But, when taking his prior output and attributes into account, the transfer could be a major coup for Blues, who are in need of a strong transfer window as they currently reside in mid-table.