Player Birmingham City controversially signed from Aston Villa remains a free agent - Who should sign him? | OneFootball

Scott Hogan made 61 appearances for Villa before joining Blues in 2020.

Although the new EFL campaign has been well underway for over a month now, several players remain as free agents despite the transfer window already ending.

One player to have not attracted the full attention of a club yet is Scott Hogan, who left Birmingham City following their relegation to League One on the final day of last season.

The Salford-born striker made 26 appearances for Blues in the Championship in 2023/24, scoring only once after starting 11 times.

Nevertheless, there is still plenty of time for the 32-year-old to find a new team, with free agents able to be signed and registered at any point in the season.

Hogan had previously had a relatively stable few years at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, following his controversial move from city rivals Aston Villa in September 2020, having originally joined the then second tier club on loan in January of the same year.

Hogan must find a club quickly

Although it can be said that time is on his side in terms of having no deadline to find a club, at 32, it will only be harder for Hogan to maintain his fitness.

His involvement was very limited for Birmingham last season, with the arrival of Jay Stansfield on loan forcing him to play second fiddle to the young striker, who has since made a permanent switch to Blues for a fee of over £10 million.

Teams are starting to take shape at this stage of the season, and with deadline day well behind us, those signed on Friday 30 August will be eligible to play going forward after most missed out before the international break due to not being registered for their new clubs on time.

Nevertheless, there are still several clubs across the EFL who are looking for another number nine as either their first-choice or as back-up for the season.

Hogan must be ready to accept a deal, and hit the ground running to prove that he has been worth the wait if a team does come in for him.

Teams in League One should be queueing up for Hogan

After a fairly disappointing campaign in the Championship last time out, it seems unlikely that a team in the division will take a chance on the 32-year-old.

However, there are still several options in League One.

Wigan Athletic could still be in the hunt for a striker following the departures of Charlie Wyke, Josh Magennis and Stephen Humphrys in the summer. With Hogan being from nearby Salford, the move makes sense for both parties, and could prove to be a fantastic partnership.

Similarly, Bolton Wanderers could be a potential suitor for the striker, and once again, the location of the Greater Manchester club can only be an incentive.

The Trotters suffered multiple injuries up front last season, and adding more depth will only help the club going forward. Hogan is yet to play in the third tier, despite making 11 appearances in the National League before.

Nevertheless, with his Championship experience, Bolton should have an interest in the former Aston Villa man to help them recover from a poor start to the campaign and challenge for promotion.