Nathan Redmond signs: The dream Birmingham City XI once the transfer window closes | OneFootball

FLW looks at a dream post-January XI for Chris Davies

Birmingham City are continuing to ride the wave of positivity which has come over St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park this season.

Given their current predicament in terms of investment, status and ambition in comparison to the majority of other sides in League One in 24/25 - and previous seasons - Chris Davies' outfit are analysed to the nth degree effectively every game, as they have been predicted to make a swift return to the Championship by many outsiders.

The club's record-breaking summer transfer window signalled their intentions right from the off, but in his first job as a number one in the dugout, Davies does deserve kudos for moulding a side which welcomed 17 fresh faces, into one which, whilst it is yet to really put any opponents to the sword on the scoreboard, have so often controlled games, especially of late.

Looking at the strength in-depth across many areas in B9, it can be argued that not much needs to be changed in what remains of the window ahead of the final three months of the season.

Nonetheless, FLW takes a look at what a 'Dream XI' would look like for Birmingham at the close of the transfer window on February 3rd.

Beginning this XI is experienced goalkeeper, Ryan Allsop.

The 32-year-old was Davies' first signing in the summer, and despite starting the season behind Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Allsop has been an extremely safe pair of hands for Blues since being handed his league debut against Huddersfield Town in October.

RB: Ethan Laird

Ethan Laird has been one of Blues' most consistent performers thus far, and his efforts were recently rewarded with his first goal in Royal Blue against Exeter City.

When on-song, it is hard for anyone to compete with the former Manchester United man for a starting berth on the right side of defence, although Davies has utilised the services of Krystian Bielik in this position against Crawley Town and Stockport County of late, and the versatile Taylor Gardner-Hickman also filled in for Laird during a seven-game absence through an ankle issue in September and October.

CB: Krystian Bielik

The aforementioned Bielik is next, having returned to action recently following a small knock against Stockport.

Blues' club captain can play in an array of positions such as right-back and the centre of midfield, but has gone on to form an incredibly strong partnership with Christoph Klarer at the heart of defence.

However, that means his place in the side is far from guaranteed, as Ben Davies has also been a key performer when called upon, whilst Birmingham recently added the services of the experienced Grant Hanley on a short-term contract, providing plenty of simultaneous experience and competition.

CB: Christoph Klarer

Klarer is up next, and the Austrian has been nothing short of a revelation since his summer switch from SV Darmstadt.

The 24-year-old has been a 'rolls-royce' alongside either Bielik or Davies, showing great composure on the ball when Birmingham look to build up play from the back, as well as showing an imperious side to his game, which sees him very rarely beaten by opposition forwards in the air or in ground duels.

LB: Alex Cochrane

Alex Cochrane has arguably been Blues' most savvy signing this season, having joined from Hearts in July.

The left-back has, like the rest of his defensive colleagues, shown plenty of attributes to his game which make the aforementioned case so strong.

Cochrane has a tendancy to be one of Birmingham's key attacking and creative outlets as a result of his wicked deliveries from out wide, as well as being defensively astute in one-on-one situations.

His absence in December wasn't felt as strongly due to Lee Buchanan's availability at the time.

But, as a result of the former Derby County man picking up a recent season-ending injury, depth at left-back is perhaps one area which the recruitment team in the Second City must keep an eye on.

CM: Paik Seung-Ho

Despite a recent injury absence, which again, hasn't felt as bad for Blues due to the services of Gardner-Hickman and Marc Leonard, when picking a best XI at the club, Paik Seung-Ho is one of the first names on the teamsheet.

The South Korean is always a calming influence on the side with his ball-playing ability and chance creation from deep, and it's not hard to see why the club faced a battle in the summer from the likes of Sunderland, Leeds United and Sheffield United to retain the 27-year-old's services.

CM: Tomoki Iwata

Alongside Paik is Tomoki Iwata, who has also excelled at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park since moving from SPFL champions, Celtic, on Deadline Day in the summer.

Like his Asian counterpart, Iwata hasn't been afraid to showcase multiple facets to his game, with a variety of goals in his collection thus far, with memorable strikes in particular against Wrexham and Bolton Wanderers in B9.

The 27-year-old has also been a key asset when it comes to breaking up play and allowing Blues to continue their relentless high-pressing style against numerous opponents this season, which is one of many reasons why they find themselves in their current position.

RW: Nathan Redmond

Similarly to left-back, the wide areas have, at times, been a problem position for Davies, despite having the services of Keshi Anderson, Emil Hansson and Scott Wright to call upon.

However, due to various injury issues for the trio at points of the season, further depth and quality must be looked at, and a homecoming for Nathan Redmond would be a welcome addition.

And, the 30-year-old would add much more to the squad than pure sentimentality.

After coming through the ranks at his hometown club, Redmond now offers a wealth of experience at levels way above the English third tier, and his directness and pace could be key in allowing Blues to put teams to the sword at such a defining period when it comes to the promotion race.

Like in other departments, the strong competition means that the Burnley man, who has recently returned to training under Scott Parker, may not start every game, but in a worst-case scenario, is an extremely strong option to bring on off the bench in the second half.

AM: Willum Willumsson

Willum Willumsson has played in various roles for Birmingham since joining from Go Ahead Eagles, but it is felt that the Icelandic playmaker is at his best in the 'Number 10' role.

It has been hard for Blues to replicate the midfielder's creativity in a more advanced role when not available, with Fulham loanee Luke Harris struggling for consistency.

A tally of over 10 goal contributions across all competitions further highlights the flair which the Scandinavian brings to the side.

Like many others across the board, Blues fans will feel that the 15-cap international will have no issues with adjusting to the Championship if promotion is to be secured.

LW: Jay Stansfield

After a loan spell which yielded 13 goals in all competitions last term, Blues were the talk of the previous window in the EFL after spending a club and divisional-record fee on the permanent services of Jay Stansfield.

The signing of a seven-year deal highlights how much the likes of Davies and Tom Wagner believe in the 22-year-old's future potential, but he has, unsurprisingly, been key in Birmingham's aims of achieving a first-time promotion, despite not always featuring as the main focal point in attack.

Stansfield hasn't played with the burden of the well-documented transfer fee on his shoulders, and has stepped up to the mark on so many occasions this season for Blues, such as an influential individual performance in the comeback victory over play-off hopefuls Barnsley in early December.

Given all the aforementioned factors, the former Exeter City man will be a feature in plenty of Birmingham 'Dream XI's' for years to come, as the club look to realise their dreams of becoming a Premier League outfit again in the not-too-distant future.

ST: Alfie May

Alfie May rounds off the XI, as the prolific League One scorer continues to show why Birmingham spent a reported £775,000 fee on him from Charlton Athletic.

After scoring 66 goals in three seasons at this level for the Addicks and Cheltenham Town, such a figure represents a bargain for the West Midlands outfit, especially as the 31-year-old has already netted double figures in the league this season too.

May's ability to stretch defences and link up well with the likes of Stansfield, Willumsson and the onrushing full-backs has been a joy to watch so far this season, and his influence is likely to be a key factor in the promotion race.

Despite his goalscoring pedigree at this level, there will be reservations over whether the striker would be able to cut it in the Championship having never played in the second tier before.