Exclusive: David Prutton issues exciting Birmingham City prediction for 2025-26 as Wayne Rooney namedropped | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit and EFL expert David Prutton spoke exclusively to FLW about how Birmingham City could fare in the Championship next season

Birmingham City will now be bidding to bolster their squad and retain a competitive edge as they prepare to plot consecutive promotions to the Premier League after lifting the League One title at the very first time of asking.

Blues made little secret of their financial muscle and ambition to escape the third-tier as quickly as possible during an action-packed summer transfer window, which saw the likes of Christoph Klarer, Willum Willumsson, Tomoki Iwata and, of course, Jay Stansfield - a League One record signing in excess of £10 million - all arrive at St Andrews @ Knighthead Park.

Their lavish summer spending ultimately came to total fruition. Birmingham's ascent towards the third-tier title was largely unchallenged, and they were crowned as League One champions ahead of second-placed fellow big-spenders Wrexham by some margin with a 2-1 victory over Peterborough United at the start of this month.

However, promotion was never the be-all and end-all in regards to Blues' extravagant long-term strategy.

Birmingham have displayed outstanding ambition ever since Knighthead Capital Management's purchase of the club in the summer of 2023 both on and off-the-pitch.

On it, they will harbour every intention of competing for promotion once again in the Championship next season and have put the foundations in place to make that a realistic intention.

David Prutton reveals his 25/26 Birmingham City prediction

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit and EFL expert David Prutton has predicted Birmingham to launch a play-off push in the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

In Prutton's view, Birmingham are "a team in a hurry" - characterised by their aggressive transfer recruitment and ambitions of returning to the highest level and beyond in swift fashion - but have also learned from previous mistakes made under Tom Wagner and co.

Notably, Birmingham sacked John Eustace while sitting sixth in the Championship in favour of what was intended to be a more progressive playing style by Wayne Rooney. But Blues' form under Rooney nosedived and the former Manchester United star lost nine of his 15 matches before being sacked as the side plunged into a relegation battle in record time.

Blues were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2023/24 season, with results failing to uplift after Rooney's exit. Although the decision to sack Eustace for Rooney showed ambition, it was misguided and proved to be ill-fated - Birmingham, however, now appear to have learned from such a grave mistake.

When asked if Birmingham could find themselves pushing for a top-six finish next time out, Prutton told FLW: "Do you know what? I think so.

"They've tooled up going into this season, they've made mincemeat of League One, they seem to be a team in a hurry with ambitious ownership.

"Yes, you've got to make sure the ambition doesn't outstrip what the club can do, I think they have already learned from the handling of the Wayne Rooney situation, wanting a certain type of football that ultimately ended in relegation.

"So I don't think they'll set them up for that particular type of fall. But they will be a team in a hurry knowing who is in charge and knowing what riches and prestige are on offer in the Premier League."

Birmingham City have prepared for the Championship amid League One title charge

Birmingham lifted the League One title and have broken Wolverhampton Wanderers' previous record of 103 points in a single season for good measure, yet alongside that, they have been implementing the foundations for longer-term success, starting with their crusade back into the Championship come August.

Recruitment has been extremely ambitious, and acquisitions such as Alex Cochrane, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Iwata, Stansfield and Lyndon Dykes are all either proven in the Championship, or more-than-capable of making the step-up.

Birmingham's existing squad, which has an estimated wage bill that would rank 12th in the Championship this term, is already widely deemed to be competitive compared to those in the second-tier, but Chris Davies' side will only be bolstered and bankrolled further throughout the off-season and that has created palpable, and rightful confidence, about what can be achieved next.