Exclusive: Birmingham City player set to leave St Andrew's to seal Walsall transfer | OneFootball

Walsall are set to sign George Hall on a permanent transfer from Birmingham City, FLW understands.

Walsall are closing in on a permanent deal for Birmingham City midfielder George Hall, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

The Saddlers have returned for a player they took on a season’s loan from their St Andrew’s rivals last season.

The versatile midfielder was sidelined from early December to late March with a hamstring problem last term, but still evidently left an impression at the Bescot Stadium.

Walsall set to strike permanent George Hall, Birmingham City transfer agreement

Football League World can exclusively reveal that Walsall are closing in on a permanent deal for Birmingham City midfielder, George Hall.

Hall, 20, would be available for a nominal fee - but one that potentially could land the Blues a windfall as any deal would contain a considerable sell-on.

The attacking playmaker has 12 months left to run on the agreement he signed with his only professional club back in 2023.

A former England Under-19 international, he was seen as one of the potential stars of the future alongside Jude and Jobe Bellingham, and Jordan James - all of whom have gone on to bigger and better things.

He was voted as Brum’s Young Player of the Year back in 2022-23 as his star rose.

But since then, his career has stalled due to a number of serious injuries, with hamstring problems being a major stumbling block.

As Chris Davies re-shaped his squad last season, Hall was given the chance to prove his fitness with Mat Sadler.

But the early part of his stay at the Bescot Stadium was mired in yet more issues, but he went on to play a major role in their push for promotion.

Hall could play a big part in Walsall's future if he can stay fit

This deal is a big vote of confidence in both parties.

Sadler will be smarting after the heartbreak of missing out on automatic promotion to League One after his side blew a 12-point lead at the top of the table.

They remained at the summit for a whopping 112 days in all before a slump towards the end of the campaign saw them pipped to the post for the last automatic promotion place when Bradford City netted an injury-time winner to defeat Fleetwood Town on the final day.

Just to rub salt into open wounds, Wimbledon worked their way past Sadler’s side in the play-off final as a season that promised so much ended with a cruel twist.

However, Walsall are a club on the up, having gone from 16th in League Two for the 2022/23 season, to 11th in 2023/24, and then all the way to fourth last season, before suffering their promotion heartbreak.

Should Hall be able to overcome his troublesome injury record and stay fit moving forward, the young midfielder's game and career could very quickly go from strength to strength with the Saddlers.

For a player as young as he is, to have played 40 Championship games and made numerous appearances for England at youth level, he's evidently a player that a lot of people within the game feel has a much higher ceiling than League Two level, with all due respect.

Therefore, this could be a real coup for Walsall, and is surely the type of gamble that the club should be taking, on a player that could become a cornerstone piece of their future.