Birmingham City identify ex-Norwich City figure for significant St. Andrew's job | OneFootball

Birmingham City are still seeking a replacement for Craig Gardner in the director of football role at St. Andrew's

Birmingham City will be aiming to be among the clubs in the mix for promotion to the Premier League next season.

The play-offs will expand to include two more sides from 2026/27, giving the Blues further reason to be optimistic about a promotion push.

Chris Davies’ side earned a respectable 10th-placed finish upon their return to the second tier last season, although that wasn’t enough to keep pressure away from the head coach’s position.

Craig Gardner departed in the aftermath of the campaign, leaving his position as director of football.

The Midlands outfit have spent heavily since being taken over by Knighthead Capital, and they have their sights set on gaining a place in the Premier League sooner rather than later.

But so far, without a new director of football in place, Birmingham’s only signings this summer have been Dael Fry and the permanent addition of Jhon Solis, who joined on loan in January from Girona with an option to buy clause.

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It has been reported by Football Insider that Birmingham have identified ex-Norwich City recruitment chief Stuart Webber as their preferred choice to take over as director of football.

The 42-year-old is currently working under the Red Bull umbrella at RB Omiya Ardija in Japan, who have just appointed Narcis Pelach as their new head coach.

Webber has held this role since September 2025, and it remains unclear whether he would be open to a return to English football after nearly 12 months in the Far East.

But Birmingham are ready to offer him that opportunity, as they look for a replacement to Gardner.

It’s believed that Red Bull have no intention of letting Webber go, meaning financial compensation may be needed to get a deal over the line.

However, it is unclear what kind of fee might be needed to pry the former Norwich and Huddersfield Town figure to St. Andrew’s.

Webber earned a lot of praise for his work with the two English clubs before things went sour at Carrow Road, which ultimately led to his exit.

He was instrumental in the appointments of David Wagner and Daniel Farke, who led the Terriers and the Norfolk outfit to the Premier League.

Birmingham will want Webber to take on a leading role in their player recruitment, which has yet to really take off this summer under Davies.

Stuart Webber move could be a smart move by Birmingham City

Of course, by the end of his time at Norwich, Webber was receiving a lot of criticism from supporters, but there is no doubt he made a positive impact on the club as a whole.

He was behind the appointment of Farke, who guided the Canaries to two promotions to the Premier League during his time as manager, winning the second tier title on both occasions.

And he enjoyed similar success with Wagner at Huddersfield, so he knows what it takes to mastermind a promotion back to the top flight.

The contacts that he’s gained at Red Bull over the last year could only make him a more valuable asset for a team like Birmingham as well.