Birmingham City to strike Celtic deal with medical imminent | OneFootball

Tomoki Iwata could join Birmingham City

Birmingham City are reportedly close to striking a deal for Celtic's Japanese midfielder, Tomoki Iwata, as he travels for a medical with the League One side.

Links first broke on Friday morning through an exclusive report from the Scottish Sun in the early hours of transfer deadline day, with it being said that the Japanese midfielder had considered leaving the SPFL giants in search of regular first-team minutes.

And, it has since been revealed by Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports via their Live Transfer Blog (30/08:15:42) that a deal to bring Itawa to St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park is nearing completion, and that the Hoops cast-off is heading to Birmingham in order to undergo his medical.

Birmingham have made no secret of their intentions to escape from the rigours of League One football at the first time of asking this transfer window, with a plethora of statement signings throughout in what is Chris Davies' first taste of senior management after being an assistant at the Hoops among the likes of Liverpool, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Blues have overseen a high number of incomings and outgoings amid a strong start to their first venture into the third tier since 1995, with a number of new faces already making a sizeable impression on supporters.

And in the dying embers of the transfer window, the Second City outfit remain intent on adding further strength-in-depth to a squad already stacked with numbers and quality in equal measure.

Birmingham City eye late swoop for Celtic's Tomoki Iwata

So far on deadline day, Blues have already confirmed the capture of Scott Wright from Glasgow Rangers - believed to be in the region of £300,000 - after Ben Davies also completed a loan move from Ibrox earlier in the week.

And now the young manager is once again putting his knowledge of the SPFL from his time as assistant to Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou at Celtic Park to even greater effect, as the Scottish Sun initially reported that a late swoop for Iwata could be made prior to the 11PM deadline.

The report stated that Iwata, who moved to Celtic in January 2023 from Yokohama F.Marinos, considered seeking a new challenge in order to reignite his career, having fallen down the pecking order under the aforementioned Rodgers, as the defending Scottish champions are close to completing a midfield signing of their own, in the form of Augsburg's Arne Engels.

Since then, Sky Sports' Anthony Joseph relayed the initial interest (30,08/14:47) from Blues, before confirming that Itawa would be travelling south of the border in order to partake in a medical whilst the deal between the two clubs continues to conclude.

He will join the likes of Mikey Johnston, who has now seen his permanent move to Blues' West Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion finalise, on a long list of squad players who have opted for new destinations across the window.

Even with just hours to go in the transfer window, Birmingham have made no secret that they would like to add more numbers to their midfield, with it being reported that a loan move for Spurs' Alfie Devine has collapsed, so a move for Iwata made total sense.

The Hoops utility man has 32 SPFL appearances to his name , as well as featuring three times in the UEFA Champions League last term, with appearances against Feyenoord and Atlético Madrid.

However, Iwata has failed to make an appearance for the club so far this campaign, hinting at an exit and reunion with the aforementioned Davies, who vacated a space in his midfield earlier in the week through Juninho Bacuna's exit to Al-Wehda.

The new Blues boss has shuffled his pack accordingly across all competitions, and although competition from the likes of captain Krystian Bielik, Paik Seung-Ho and Marc Leonard will be fierce, Iwata will surely demand a hefty amount of gametime after failing to assert himself as a regular at Parkhead.