Exclusive: Lee Hendrie backs Birmingham City to sign Leeds United attacker - He "ticks the box" | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie spoke exclusively to Football League World about Birmingham City's interest in Leeds United striker Mateo Joseph

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has backed newly-promoted Birmingham City to complete the ambitious signing of Mateo Joseph from Leeds United, with Knighthead eager to provide the requisite financial backing towards a second successive promotion push after last season's record-breaking, title-winning League One campaign.

With no shortage of financial muscle and pull power in a different stratosphere to the third-tier ecosystem, Birmingham romped to the League One title in style and broke the EFL record of points secured in a single season by accumulating 111.

Getting back to the Championship, however, was nothing but a short-term target for Birmingham, who intend on replicating Ipswich Town's meteoric feat of gaining successive promotions to the Premier League and are reportedly set to rival the three recently-relegated second-tier sides in the Tractor Boys, Southampton and Leicester City, along with certain Premier League outfits and fellow Championship newcomers Wrexham, for transfer targets this summer.

Both on and off-the-pitch, Blues are beginning to truly set the gears in motion for an exciting and revolutionary project at the club and have been linked to a number of players throughout the off-season to date.

As reported to GIVEMESPORT by Midlands football expert Neil Moxley, Birmingham are keen to recruit Joseph to Chris Davies' side ahead of a hopeful promotion surge in 25/26, although they are facing competition from Real Betis amid separate reports that the La Liga club are close to completing a deal to bring the striker back to his native Spain.

Joseph was signed by Leeds from Espanyol as a teenager in 2021 and has made 73 appearances for the Whites at senior level, scoring on just six occasions.

The striker, who is currently away on international duty at this summer's U21 European Championships in Slovakia with Spain, threatened to nail down a starting berth under Daniel Farke last season but eventually lost his place to talisman Joel Piroe and finished the campaign with three goals from 39 Championship outings, 11 of which were starts.

However, with Leeds now preparing for life back in the Premier League after lifting the Championship title with 100 points of their own, 21-year-old Joseph has been deemed surplus to requirements at Elland Road and Blues are looking to capitalise on the Whites' stance.

Lee Hendrie backs Birmingham City to sign Leeds United's Mateo Joseph

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie has backed Birmingham to complete the signing of Joseph this summer.

In Hendrie's view - and in what will be a sentiment echoed by many back in West Yorkshire, no doubt - Joseph needs to have a season away from Leeds in a central role elsewhere, and that level of importance could get the very best out of the talented forward.

Hendrie believes that Joseph, who has long been tipped as a seriously exciting prospect with the potential to enjoy a glittering career, would "tick the box" for Birmingham as they bid to fine-tune Davies' League One promotion-winning side into one capable of replicating that success in the second-tier.

"Mateo Joseph is linked with Birmingham City," Hendrie told FLW.

"Birmingham are linked with so many players.

"I do feel he has to have a real season away where he's going to be one of the main players. If it is to be Birmingham, I think that's where you're going to see the best of him.

"Obviously he's been a bit-part player for quite some time now but has been talked about quite heavily, bags of potential.

"If Birmingham are going to have potential of going again, they do have to start looking and thinking what potential do the likes of Joseph have? He certainly ticks the box for them."

Birmingham City would face Jay Stansfield dilemma with Mateo Joseph, Leeds United deal

Additional firepower in the final third would do no harm to Birmingham, and Joseph is exactly the raw profile of player who could benefit from Davies' ability to enhance talent.

But Davies would face the dilemma of trying to fit both Joseph and Blues poster boy Jay Stansfield, who was signed for a League One record transfer fee in excess of £10 million last summer and will be poised to lead the line in the Championship after scoring 23 goals across all competitions, into his side.

Stansfield, of course, can operate on the left-hand side of a front three, but with Birmingham sure to invest in the wide areas this summer, it would seem more likely that he will be fielded in his natural position at the tip of the spear.

If Leeds were to loan Joseph out, they would demand guarantees of a regular starting berth and Stansfield's presence means there would have to be doubts over whether Birmingham can offer that.

Blues are also linked with a sensational move for ex-Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi, who is currently in Ligue 1 with Stade Rennais, and any potential deal for the prolific Japanese frontman would likely rule out one for Joseph.