27-year-old is stuck in Birmingham City limbo - A St Andrews' exit may be best | OneFootball

Birmingham City captain Krystian Bielik is stuck in limbo after making just two starts since the turn of the year. A move could be the best option.

Birmingham City captain Krystian Bielik is stuck in limbo at St Andrews.

The Polish international made 32 appearances for the Blues last season in League One, but made just two starts after the turn of the year, despite currently carrying the captain's armband.

As the club hope to progress up the Championship following their ascent back to the second tier, Bielik is likely to continue finding himself down the pecking order as a result of new arrivals and the sky-high ambitions of Birmingham.

An exit from the club could be the best option for a player in the prime years of his career this summer.

Krystian Bielik's weakening importance at St Andrews

At 27 years old, Bielik is well and truly in his prime. However, after taking the armband at the start of the 2024/25 campaign with Birmingham in League One, his importance to Chris Davies' starting 11 has continued to weaken.

The Pole made 32 appearances for the Blues in the third tier last term; however, he made just two starts for the club after the festive period.

Initial centre-back partner Christoph Klarer went on to form a strong partnership with Rangers loanee Ben Davies, keeping Bielik out of the frame.

The same could be the case as the Blues prepare for the Championship, with highly-rated German defender Phil Neumann arriving from 2. Bundesliga outfit Hannover 96.

Bielik is versatile, also capable of playing in the middle of the park, having made 135 career appearances as a defensive midfielder compared to 106 at centre back.

However, Birmingham's midfield pairing of Tomoki Iwata and Paik Seung-ho was virtually undroppable last season, with Davies already suggesting that they have the potential to become Premier League players.

"Without looking too far forward, I think they are both players that absolutely could play in the Premier League," he told BirminghamLive last October.

When Tommy Doyle, Birmingham's recent arrival from Wolves, is thrown into the mix, the chances of Bielik being a regular at either centre-back or the base of midfield become even slimmer.

St Andrew's exit may be the best option for Bielik

After a loan spell with the club in 2017, Bielik returned to Birmingham on loan again in 2022 after a spell with Derby County, making a permanent switch to the second city after 37 appearances during his loan spell.

Following Birmingham's relegation to League One at the end of the 2023/24 season, the Pole was named club captain as they looked to immediately bounce back to the second tier, however, he now sits in a position where a move away could be the best option for his career.

He has stated that he still feels extremely responsible for the progression of the club moving forward. However, it would seem unlikely that a player of his calibre would settle for being out of the frame regarding starting matches.

Bielik was linked with a potential move to Stoke City at the end of the January transfer window, and similar links may resurface should honest conversations take place between the player, Davies and the club.

Bielik has made 129 appearances in the Championship for Derby County and Birmingham, and still has so much more to give in the prime years of his career.

While he would be a valuable option across multiple positions for the Blues as they prepare for Championship life once again, his ability commands a starting place. And to achieve that, a move away from St Andrews may be the best bet for the 27-year-old this summer.