Birmingham City told to raid Middlesbrough ASAP - double Aston Villa coup is a factor | OneFootball

Blues are on the search for their latest director of football under Knighthead

Birmingham City have endured a dramatic three-year period under the ownership of Knighthead Capital Management, who have made it no secret that their ambitions are an eventual return to the Premier League.

Tom Wagner acquired the club in July 2023, bringing an end to the chaotic period in which the club was under the control of Birmingham Sports Holdings Limited, with several matches played in a half-used and dilapidated St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

However, the American and his fellow members of the hierarchy have grown extremely popular in this part of the Second City as a result of their long-standing commitment to plug investment into several aspects of the club, such as the matchday experience and the squad at Chris Davies' disposal.

Davies has proven to be a divisive figure in the year which saw Blues return to the Championship as record-breaking League One champions, with the club undergoing two further high-profile recruitment drives, albeit very little was shown for such spends in terms of league position.

The West Midlands outfit still recorded their highest finish in a decade - 10th with 64 points - but many were expecting better at the beginning of the season, and now the pressure is on heading into 2026/27.

Yet, with the summer transfer window looming large, Wagner has a critical decision to make at boardroom level following Craig Gardner's departure as director of football, and a fresh twist on said search has emerged.

Fresh Birmingham City reaction given as Middlesbrough's Kieron Scott targeted in director of football hunt

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Indeed, Gardner's exit was heavily speculated before it was confirmed by the club, with a statement reading that the 39-year-old had informed higher-ups of his decision to leave St. Andrew's well in advance.

The former midfielder was promoted to such a position in February 2025 after previous coaching roles, as well as being a technical director, but now Birmingham are in the need of a man to fill such a void, and one which can help bring the success Knighthead crave.

There have been suggestions that Dan Ashworth, Kristjaan Speakman and current Blues academy director, Mike Rigg, were set for interviews as part of the ongoing search, but Football League World understand that another name in the frame is current Middlesbrough head of football, Kieran Scott.

Scott has extensive experience in such roles, particularly at Championship level, having been Norwich City's head of recruitment during their 2019 and 2021 title-winning terms under Daniel Farke, before being headhunted by the Teesside outfit.

The 42-year-old has received immense credit for his role in several transfer deals, including those of Finn Azaz and Morgan Rogers, who were either brought from, or sold to Birmingham's local rivals, Aston Villa, as part of eventual deals which brought significant profit to the Reds.

Reacting to such developments, FLW's Birmingham City fan pundit, Jason Moore, said: "I really, really like the idea of it (the potential appointment of Scott).

"I think it's totally different to what people would have expected. Obviously, that's because we don't work in football, but I really like it.

"You're talking about someone who found Morgan Rogers (at Man City), took a gamble on him, and Finn Azaz (at Aston Villa), and ended up selling them both for decent profit," he explained.

"I'm all for it. Bring him in. I like the sound of it," Moore stated.

"Let's see what he does (if it happens). But, off the Rogers and Azaz deals alone, quality players that they sold for decent money. I'd be up for it."

Kieran Scott, Birmingham City appointment could have key impact on the Championship

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Due to his impressive body of work in the North East, Scott has also attracted recent interest from newly-relegated West Ham United to potentially become part of a reshuffled boardroom at the London Stadium.

Naturally, the aforementioned links to Ashworth caught the eye of many given his current role in the FA and previous work at clubs such as Manchester United and Newcastle United, but Scott has worked in two promotion-winning environments, and also overseen two campaigns in which Boro have missed out on promotion in gut-wrenching fashion.

He was also instrumental in Kim Hellberg's appointment in November, meaning if he was to be appointed at St. Andrew's and, in the later eventuality, Davies was dismissed, many supporters could feel reassured by his track record when it comes to making key decisions.

But, given the fact many would expect Birmingham and Middlesbrough to at least challenge for the top eight, it could have huge implications on what may unfold in the next 11 months.