Birmingham City must be cautious over potential QPR transfer swoop: View | OneFootball

Birmingham City are reportedly among the clubs interested in Queens Park Rangers striker Lyndon Dykes.

Key Takeaways

It has been an excellent start to the season for Birmingham City in League One.

The Blues are playing in the third tier of English football for the first time in almost 30 years after their relegation from the Championship last season, but there is plenty of optimism that they can bounce back at the first attempt.

Manager Chris Davies was reportedly given a £20 million budget to use on transfer fees and wages this summer, and Birmingham have certainly not been afraid to spend, with 13 new players arriving at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park so far.

As well as the new additions, the Blues have managed to keep hold of most of their key players, with only Alex Pritchard and Jordan James being sold this summer, giving Davies one of the strongest squads in League One.

After a frustrating draw at home to Reading on the opening weekend, Davies' men have adapted well to life in their new division, and they recorded their second consecutive league victory with a 2-1 win at Leyton Orient on Saturday.

Birmingham City keen on Lyndon Dykes

Despite their huge influx of new signings this summer, it seems that Birmingham's transfer business is not yet complete, and according to Mirror Football, Queens Park Rangers striker Lyndon Dykes is on their radar, but they face competition for his signature from Millwall.

Millwall had a £3 million bid for Dykes rejected in January 2023 and the Lions have reportedly reignited their interest in the Scotland international after their negotiations with Middlesbrough over the potential signing of Josh Coburn stalled.

Dykes was left out of the R's squad for their 1-1 draw with Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, and after the game, head coach Marti Cifuentes hinted that he could be set to depart.

"I just pick players based on availability. He wasn’t available," Cifuentes told West London Sport.

When asked whether he expects Dykes to remain at Loftus Road beyond Friday's transfer deadline, Cifuentes said: "I don’t know."

There is no doubt that Dykes would be a statement signing for Birmingham in League One, and given their vast financial resources, the Blues could likely afford to complete a deal for the striker, but they should be cautious over making a move.

Dykes has been a crucial player for the Hoops since joining the club from Livingston in August 2020, but after scoring 12 goals in his first year in West London, he has failed to reach double figures in the previous three seasons.

There is more to Dykes' game than just goals, but it is the most important measure of any striker, and his underwhelming goalscoring record should act as a warning to the Blues board.

Of course, Dykes would likely reach higher numbers in League One, but Birmingham already have a prolific striker on their books in Alfie May, and there are question marks over whether the club need to spend big on another front man.

With Davies deploying just one striker so far this season, he would need to change his system to accommodate both Dykes and May, and given that the 28-year-old is more of a target man, he may also need to adapt his style of play, which would risk losing what has been a winning formula in the early weeks of the campaign.

, and he should be trusted to lead the line this season, while Davies also has Tyler Roberts, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Ayumu Yokoyama at his disposal.