Marc Leonard situation shows how Birmingham City are growing at a scary rate | OneFootball

Blues are showing a ruthless side to their transfer business in a bid to reach the Premier League

Football can be an unpredictable, yet ruthless game, as some on the books of Birmingham City are now finding out.

American ownership group, Knighthead Capital Management, have made it no secret that they want the club to return to its former standing of Premier League regulars in double-quick time, with back-to-back promotions from League One and through the Championship already a distinct possibility when looking at the current squad on paper.

Chris Davies received record-breaking levels of backing last term as the West Midlands side won the third-tier at a 19-point canter ahead of the equally-ambitious Wrexham, and the club have only continued to flex their financial muscle in pre-season ahead of their return to the second-tier.

The books will need to be balanced somewhat in order for further investment to be made in the imminent future, but there is one player in particular, whose predicament showcases the exciting and scary rate at which the B9 club are going about their progression.

Birmingham City were significantly praised for acquiring Marc Leonard ahead of League One title-winning season

One of Davies' first pieces of business following his appointment at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park last June was the capture of Marc Leonard from Brighton and Hove Albion.

After two extremely impressive loan campaigns with Northampton Town in League Two and, subsequently, the third tier, Blues were lauded for acquiring the combative, yet technically-gifted midfielder ahead of clubs in the Championship for a sum of just £500,000 on a four-year contract.

Given his current and future potential, there was a belief that Leonard could be a mainstay at the heartbeat of the Birmingham midfield for some time. However, this scenario was immediately jeopardised just weeks into the campaign as Tomoki Iwata moved from Celtic to form an extremely-impressive partnership with Seung-Ho Paik.

Regardless, Leonard did draw praise when selected in the starting lineup. However, those instances were few and far between, as he made just 14 league starts and 25 in total, with the remainder of his eventual 47 appearances in all competitions coming off the bench. He would also be sidelined for a brief period in February after suffering a leg injury in the FA Cup defeat to Newcastle United.

And now with Blues adding further depth to the base of their midfield, it is extremely unfortunate for Leonard that his time in the Second City seems up before he got a chance to fully get into rhythm. However, it showcases the ruthless, cut-throat mentality with which Wagner and Davies must conduct business if they are to return to the Premier League.

Marc Leonard will hope to reignite career as Huddersfield Town lurk

After the acquisition of Tommy Doyle on an initial loan, with a £10m option-to-buy, Leonard has fallen further down the pecking order, and would massively benefit from a move elsewhere on a permanent basis.

Although nowhere near the levels of Blues' spending last term, Huddersfield Town are making plenty of waves in the market under Lee Grant, and have targeted the 23-year-old after signing Alfie May for £1.2m - a deal which FLW exclusively revealed.

It remains to be seen if the Accu Stadium is to be the likely destination for Leonard if an exit is to be sanctioned, with the Terriers recently adding Marcus McGuane and Ryan Ledson to their midfield ranks, especially if the Scot is to factor in the disappointment and frustration of the limited minutes he is currently experiencing.

His ability and composure on the ball - as proven by a stunning free-kick against Sevilla earlier in the month, as well as his age shows that he is too good to be sitting on the bench every week, and that regular football is a must at this point of his career to avoid the risk of stagnation.

Birmingham have simply outgrown him at a rapid rate. That isn't his fault, but leaves him at the centre of more transfer speculation for a second summer running.