Birmingham City lauded for "very good signing" as Premier League transfer nears | OneFootball

FLW's Birmingham fan pundit has given his verdict on James Beadle's prospective move to the club

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Birmingham City are closing in on the signing of goalkeeper James Beadle from Brighton.

According to Alex Crook, the shot stopper is set to make the switch to the Blues on loan for next season.

The 20-year-old spent the previous campaign on loan with Sheffield Wednesday, where he conceded 59 goals from 38 appearances in the Championship.

Chris Davies will be hoping Beadle will provide strong competition for Ryan Allsop, and may even supplant the 32-year-old as first choice between the sticks.

James Beadle transfer verdict

When asked about the arrival of Beadle, FLW’s Birmingham fan pundit Jason Moore claimed he’s very happy with the deal.

He believes the 20-year-old is about as good a player as Allsop, but has more room to improve, and that the club will likely pursue a permanent move if he performs well enough.

“Very, very happy with that,” Moore told Football League World.

“He’s only 20, so he can only get better.

“I wouldn’t say he’s an upgrade on Ryan Allsop, I’d say he’s on par, but that’s sort of how the club have been run the last season.

“Two keepers competing for the number one spot.

“If he does come in, does a good job, I’m sure we’ll look to buy him, and if not then you’ve got a very, very good second option/number one in Ryan Allsop, who did nothing wrong last season.

“And, to be honest, I fully expect [Allsop] to start the season.

“You can always say we could’ve done better, we were linked to Mark Travers, he would’ve been a very good keeper to bring in.

“But I’m not going to be upset by James Beadle, he’s a very, very good signing and I’ll be more than happy to see him at the Blues.”

Birmingham earned promotion to the Championship by winning the League One title with a record 111 points.

Beadle signing is a smart move

Beadle showed a lot of promise during his loan stints with Sheffield Wednesday, and has now built up a lot of Championship experience for someone of his age.

The youngster absolutely still has room to develop, and could prove a shrewd signing for the Blues if he continues to improve.

Having competition for the goalkeeper spot is a luxury, but a loan move means that not too many resources are being spent on this decision.