Championship interest arrives for £500k Birmingham City star as big decision made on St Andrew's future | OneFootball

Birmingham City midfielder Marc Leonard has become a target for multiple Championship clubs this summer.

Birmingham City midfielder Marc Leonard has become a target for multiple Championship clubs this summer.

The 23-year-old joined the Blues last summer, signing from Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported fee of £500k.

A former Scotland youth international, the central midfielder penned a four-year contract at St Andrew's, meaning he's contracted with the newly crowned League One champions until 2028.

Championship clubs alerted to loan possibility for Birmingham City star Marc Leonard

As per a report from journalist Pete O'Rourke via his X account on Monday, Leonard is reportedly allowed to leave St. Andrew's on loan this summer following limited starting opportunities during Blues' record-breaking League One campaign.

This is understood to have alerted a number of Championship clubs to the possibility of securing a temporary deal for the midfielder.

Prior to leaving Brighton and joining Birmingham on a permanent deal last summer, Leonard enjoyed two highly successful loan stints with Northampton Town.

The Scotsman played a vital role in helping the Cobblers win automatic promotion from League Two in 2022/23, before appearing in and starting every single one of the club's 46 League One games in 2023/24.

Marc Leonard's limited role prompts potential Birmingham City exit

Marc Leonard's situation at Birmingham City became increasingly clear during their dominant 2024/2025 League One season, where he found first-team starts hard to come by.

He made 47 appearances in all competitions for Chris Davies' side last season, but was largely confined to the substitutes' bench throughout their title-winning season.

The former Rangers academy player started just 14 of Birmingham's 46 league matches - completing the full 90 minutes on only five occasions.

This limited playing time came through no fault of Leonard's own quality, but that of the central midfield pairing of Paik Seung-ho and Tomoki Iwata - who Chris Davies always preferred together when both available.

Even though his on-field time was limited, Leonard managed five assists in all competitions this past season - showing his creative ability when given the chance.

Marc Leonard could now be given big chance to showcase his talent

Birmingham City's reported decision to allow Leonard to move on loan does represent a sensible approach.

With the club likely to make further signings this summer, Leonard would face an even more challenging path to regular first-team football at St. Andrew's.

The fact that Championship clubs want Leonard makes the second-tier the ideal platform to demonstrate his capabilities at a higher level, after impressing during loan spells with Northampton Town - the reason Blues signed him in the first place.

There's no doubt Leonard possesses the technical ability that would suit the Championship's demands; he claimed Northampton's Player of the Year award in his second season at Sixfields.

With Birmingham's reported blessing for a loan move, Leonard's immediate future appears to lie away from St. Andrew's, offering him the chance to reignite his earlier promise and prove his worth at Championship level.

The coming weeks will likely see increased activity around his situation, as interested clubs look to secure his services ahead of the 2025/2026 Championship season.