Birmingham City hijack Huddersfield Town swoop for Alfie May as Charlton Athletic accept 6-figure offer | OneFootball

Birmingham City have joined Huddersfield Town in the race to sign Charlton Athletic striker Alfie May.

Birmingham City have reportedly had a bid accepted for Charlton Athletic striker Alfie May.

That's according to Football Insider, who claim the Blues have made a bid of £775,000 for May as they look to hijack his potential move to Huddersfield Town.

It was reported on Friday that Huddersfield had agreed a fee of £750,000 with Charlton for May, and the striker was set to discuss personal terms with the Terriers, but he will now hold talks with Birmingham over the weekend.

May joined the Addicks from Cheltenham Town last summer for a fee in the region of £250,000, and he finished as the top scorer in League One last season with 27 goals, continuing his fine recent record in the third tier.

It had seemed that May was heading to Huddersfield to reunite with his former Cheltenham manager Michael Duff, but his move to the John Smith's Stadium now looks to be in serious doubt.

Latest on Alfie May's Charlton Athletic future as Birmingham City make move

May enjoyed an excellent debut season for Charlton last term, but he was dropped to the bench by manager Nathan Jones on three occasions after he took over at The Valley in February, leading to speculation that he was not part of the Welshman's plans.

Jones refused to rule out the possibility of May being sold this summer, stating that any decision will be in the best interests of the club, but he insisted that the Addicks are under no financial pressure to sell the 30-year-old.

"It’s a very difficult one with Alfie. He is our player and we love Alfie here, he is a fans’ favourite and scores goals for us," Jones told the South London Press this week.

"I don’t just want this to be just about Alfie. What we have to do with decisions on any player is think about what is in the best interests of the club. If keeping Alfie is the best thing for this football club then that is what will happen.

"“If for any reason Alfie May leaves this football club then we must have players that will come into the squad that make this football club significantly better.

"I have no financial pressure, or any pressure from the board or the club in any way to do anything. "That is why I have come here – to have that autonomy to make sound decisions for the football club, to be bold and to really ask the board to back that. And they have, to every level. We’re under no pressure. We’re a big football club, in terms of that.

"For what has been rumoured around Alfie, we’re not under any pressure to sell to another rival."

Huddersfield will have been hopeful of sealing a deal for May, but while the Terriers have just received £5 million from Coventry City for midfielder Jack Rudoni, it could be difficult for them to compete financially with Birmingham.

The Blues are reportedly set to back new manager Chris Davies with a £20 million transfer and wage budget this summer, meaning they are likely to be able to pay a bigger transfer fee and offer May higher wages than Huddersfield.

Alfie May signing would be a huge coup for Birmingham City

There is no doubt that Birmingham will be aiming for promotion from League One next season, and the signing of May would be a big statement of intent from the Blues.

May has been one of the most prolific scorers in the third tier over the last three years, and adding a player of his quality would give Birmingham an excellent chance of making an immediate return to the Championship.

The Blues have been linked with some ambitious transfer targets this summer, including Burnley's Scott Twine and Sheffield Wednesday's Josh Windass, but May is a proven League One performer, and Davies needs that kind of experience in his squad.

May would likely have been keen to reunite with Duff at Huddersfield, but the opportunity to join the exciting project at Birmingham could be too tempting for him, and the financial package on offer will likely be more appealing.