Birmingham City should be monitoring Ipswich Town situation closely: View | OneFootball

Birmingham City goalkeeper John Ruddy is out of contract in the summer after two seasons with the club. They could well be looking to sign a new goalkeeper in the summer and Ipswich Town back-up Christian Walton could be a great option.

Ruddy signed for Birmingham in July 2022 following his release from Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he had been for the previous five seasons.

He arrived at St Andrew's Stadium on a one-year deal at 35-years-old with plenty of experience. The goalkeeper has made over 100 Premier League appearances and over 250 in the Football League for the likes of Norwich City, Crewe Alexandra, Bristol City, Stockport County, and Cambridge United.

Ruddy arrived to replace departing Montenegrin goalkeeper Matija Sarkic and offer an upgrade on Philippines international Neil Etheridge. The Saint Ives native instantly became the Blues' number-one in his first season, and he signed a contract extension just four months into his time at the club that would see him stay in the West Midlands until the end of this season.

As of now, the club have not offered the 37-year-old a new deal and will have to enter the market for a new man in between the sticks for next season.

Ipswich back-up Christian Walton is a good fit

Walton of Ipswich looks like a brilliant fit to replace Ruddy at Birmingham. The former England U21 international came through the youth ranks of Plymouth Argyle and Brighton & Hove Albion, where he made his first team debut aged just 18 years old against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup.

After several loan moves to EFL clubs, including Luton Town, Plymouth, Wigan Athletic, and Blackburn Rovers, Walton made a permanent move to Ipswich in January 2022 after a previously impressive loan spell with the club.

Walton was Ipswich's first-choice goalkeeper last season in League One as they won promotion to the Championship, finishing in second place and conceding a division-low 35 goals.

According to statistics from Sofascore, the 6'5" keeper was the eighth highest-rated keeper in the league that season, with a 6.88 rating, and had fallen from the sixth spot, with a 6.93 rating in the season previous to that.

An unfortunate injury to Walton in the summer paved the way for Czech goalkeeper Václav Hladký to be bought into first-team action. The 33-year-old seized the opportunity with a number of impressive performances for the Tractor Boys, and he is now Kieran McKenna's first choice.

Walton's contract runs out at the end of the season, but his team do have the option to extend his contract for another year. With Ipswich's promotion prospects looking good, and Hladký's form still exceptional, it looks likely that Walton's time in Suffolk could be coming to an end.

Birmingham can't rely on backup options

Birmingham cannot afford not to replace Ruddy before the start of the 2024/25 season. Their only other options in the goalkeeper position are hugely out of favour and ageing Neil Etheridge and untested 19-year-old Bradley Mayo.

After two seasons as Birmingham's number one, the time might be right for veteran goalkeeper Ruddy to move on in the summer upon the expiry of his contract.

Walton is an ideal candidate for Ruddy's spot and has shown his abilities at the Championship level before. The Ipswich stopper could also be available for free, and after falling down the pecking order in Suffolk, a move to the Midlands could reignite his career.