Birmingham City have given themselves huge promotion advantage - Craig Gardner deserves huge credit | OneFootball

Birmingham City and sporting director Craig Gardner deserve praise for their swift business in the summer window.

It has been a remarkable few weeks for Birmingham City as they reshape their squad following promotion back to the Championship.

In truth, Blues were in a position where major surgery wasn’t required. The incredible spending spree 12 months ago, sanctioned by their ambitious US owners, means many of Chris Davies’ squad are capable of playing in the second tier.

However, with another promotion the aim, Blues were ready to be ruthless, and they have wasted no time in making some significant additions.

Birmingham City’s impressive summer transfer window so far

James Beadle has joined as the number one, fresh from helping England’s U21 to the European Championship this summer, whilst Phil Neumann is part of the group after an agreement was reached with Hannover.

Tommy Doyle gives Davies another quality option in the middle of the park, with Demarai Gray returning to offer pace out wide, along with Bright Osayi-Samuel at right-back, and Kanya Fujimoto provides another creative threat in the final third.

Up top, Kyogo Furuhashi is the only player Blues have paid a fee for this summer, with the Japanese international joining in a deal that could reach £10m.

The former Celtic striker will be seen as the statement signing, but all seven players look hugely impressive recruits for a Championship side, and it’s no surprise that it has got Blues fans excited.

Craig Gardner deserves huge credit for swift Birmingham City transfer business

Not only have Birmingham brought in genuine quality to improve an already strong squad, but they have managed to do so by early June.

The impact of that can’t be understated, and you can be sure that Davies is delighted that the owners have put the funds up to get these deals over the line, and that director of football Craig Gardner has convinced players of the project.

The ex-Blues midfielder only took the job up earlier this year after the mid-2024-25 season transfer window, earning a promotion from technical director, but he's clearly having a major influence in bringing the big names in and convincing them to arrive at St. Andrew's.

Gardner has a big responsibility at St. Andrew’s, and with owners who are demanding continuous improvement and success, it’s a role that comes with pressure.

Settled Birmingham City have an advantage over their promotion rivals

It would be no surprise if a few more players came through the door before the deadline, and there will certainly be plenty of outgoings over the coming weeks.

However, the bulk of the Blues squad is now in place, and, crucially, the key men who will be integral to the XI are all at the club. That gives Davies the luxury of spending plenty of time with the new recruits on a daily basis to ensure they understand his methods.

As well as that, the new signings have time to integrate with their teammates, and they will be building relationships on and off the pitch immediately.

Meanwhile, virtually all Blues’ promotion rivals aren't in such a position.

A host of players at Southampton and Ipswich are going to leave following relegation, whilst Leicester still don’t even have a manager in place.

Elsewhere, West Brom will need to raise funds, Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg are attracting interest, and Norwich City know that Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent are unlikely to stick around.

We could go on, as all clubs will have plenty of deals to do, and that could bring distractions, right up until September 1. By that stage, four Championship games will be played, and it can disrupt teams in the early stages, which can impact momentum going forward.

All managers dream of having their business done early, allowing them to focus on football, but the reality of the game is that it just doesn’t usually happen.

Yet, Blues are in that position, thanks to their clear recruitment strategy led by Gardner, and their driven owners.

It will seem a small detail as they prepare for a 46-game marathon, but a settled Birmingham will be ready to hit the ground running as they try to reach the Premier League, and it could make all the difference come May.