Birmingham City facing shock player exit threat as transfer clause emerges | OneFootball

Birmingham City's Demarai Gray is on the radar of other clubs, with the winger having an exit clause in his contract until July 10.

Birmingham City will expect to push for promotion under Chris Davies next season, after a decent first season back in the Championship.

With the level of investment that has gone into Blues since their US owners arrived, many thought they could have recorded back-to-back promotions last season, having won League One with an EFL points record in 2024/25.

But, despite missing out on the play-offs, there were some positive signs for Birmingham in the previous campaign, so the transfer window is now about making the necessary tweaks to ensure the team are competing for promotion next season, as opposed to a major squad overhaul.

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Demarai Gray could secure swift Birmingham City exit

Whilst there will be a focus on incomings, Blues will also have to move players on, but one player who could secure a transfer away is Demarai Gray.

That’s after journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that there is interest in the Jamaica international, who has a clause in his contract that means an exit could be sanctioned within the next month.

As per Romano's update, the popular winger's contract contains an exit clause which remains intact until July 10. It's said that several unnamed clubs have already made approaches, meaning that Gray could be on the move after just twelve months back in the Second City if a strong proposal for his services is received.

The local lad, who came through the ranks at Birmingham, returned to St. Andrew’s last summer, and he played 37 times last season, scoring five goals and registering the same number of assists.

That was a decent return, but it’s fair to say that the 29-year-old had an inconsistent campaign, with fans only seeing flashes of his undoubted talent, and Gray particularly struggled after returning from injury during the final part of the season.

Birmingham need to refresh their attack ahead of the 2026/27 season

Obviously, we don’t know the details of the release clause, and it will be interesting to see what sort of fee that Blues would receive for Gray.

As mentioned, his form last season was inconsistent, but there’s no denying that Gray is a player with an excellent pedigree for this level.

At 29, he should still have a lot to offer in the Championship, and even if he does lose some of the pace that was key to the way he played earlier in his career, he is still capable of big moments, and he is a threat cutting in from the left onto his right foot.

But, from a financial perspective, it may make sense for Blues to let Gray go, as he is almost certainly among the bigger earners at the club.

Can Birmingham justify that salary for someone who may not be in the best XI each week? This will come into the thinking of the hierarchy, and Gray may want a fresh challenge if he isn’t a starter.

So, there are different factors to consider, and Blues are definitely going to be in the market for a quick winger, after Ibrahim Osman returned to Brighton after a loan spell with the club.

With the date of the release clause, this isn’t something that is going to drag on all summer, which will benefit Gray and Birmingham, and it will be interesting to see how it develops over the coming weeks.