Birmingham City potentially signing Wolves player could signal the end for 33-year-old: Opinion | OneFootball

Birmingham City are back in the race for Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Matija Sarkic, according to Alan Nixon.

It previously looked as though the shot-stopper was going to seal a move to Stoke City - but the deal fell through at the last minute and this has given others the opportunity to enter the race.

Sarkic has spent his much of his footballing career in the Midlands, not just at Aston Villa and Wolves but also heading out to Shrewsbury Town, Birmingham and Stoke on loan.

With this, a return to Blues could be a possibility for the Montenegro international who seems to be settled in the Midlands.

However, Millwall could be another option for him, with both John Eustace's side and the Lions keen on securing a loan deal with an option to buy him.

What's the state of play in Birmingham City's goalkeeping department?

Birmingham already have some decent options at their disposal.

The experienced John Ruddy performed extremely well last season and deserves to keep his starting spot between the sticks, with the ex-Norwich City man potentially set to be crucial again during the upcoming season.

This could consign Neil Etheridge to a place on the bench - and with this - fellow stopper Zach Jeacock could be the club's third-choice stopper if they decide to retain him.

Jeacock doesn't have a huge amount of senior experience under his belt - but he has played for Blues' first team before and could step in if required.

With these options in mind, it doesn't seem as though Birmingham desperately need another addition in this department unless someone leaves.

And with his inexperience and potential thirst for regular game time, it wouldn't be a huge shock if Jeacock left. But it would be hard to see Etheridge staying if both Ruddy and Sarkic are at the club due to the former's ability.

What factors could contribute to Neil Etheridge's potential Birmingham City exit?

Considering his lack of game time last season, Etheridge could potentially be willing to push for an exit from St Andrew's.

He may be 33, but his career should be far from over considering his CV and he definitely has the ability to play as a first-choice shot-stopper in the Championship.

The experienced keeper may have suffered with a serious bout of Covid back in 2021 - but he was a regular starter for Birmingham during the second half of 2021/22 in the absence of former loanee Sarkic - who had been ruled out of action for the majority of the campaign with an injury.

And Etheridge's CV alone should earn him a move if he was made available.

It would be difficult to see him staying at St Andrew's if both Ruddy and Sarkic were at the club - because Birmingham don't need three senior keepers.

They may have generated a decent amount from Tahith Chong's move to Luton and the sale of the Bellingham brothers this summer, but Blues will surely want to keep their wage bill as low as possible.

It was previously reported that Etheridge was earning £23,000 per week, so if Sarkic does join, it wouldn't be a surprise if Birmingham try and push him out the door.

And the Philippines international may not be too upset about that, especially if he wants to play every week.