"Could do an Ipswich" - League 1 chairman issues Birmingham City, Premier League prediction | OneFootball

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony believes the fellow League One side are only heading in one direction

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has revealed his belief that Birmingham City will climb back to the Premier League within four years.

Posh's owner claimed on his podcast The Hard Truth that he sees a summer of heavy investment from Blues leading to their quick ascent up the leagues.

The Midlands side faced a tough season last term, ending in relegation from the second tier in Tom Wagner's maiden campaign as club owner, having led the Knighthead takeover last summer.

Undeterred by that setback, MacAnthony stated that the American boss is tabling transfer offers that no other League One side can compete with.

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony backs Birmingham City to be in Premier League by 2028

Birmingham have spent substantial sums this summer bringing in the likes of Christoph Klarer from Darmstadt and Willum Thor Willumsson from Go Ahead Eagles. The deals have not stopped there, and there have been further big-money offers tabled that have not yet gone through.

MacAnthony states that the Blues are operating at a level that other League One clubs, including his, simply cannot keep up with. The Posh top boss is tipping them for the highest level following their heavy spending.

Speaking on The Hard Truth podcast, MacAnthony said: "I honestly think, with the backing they have, they could do an Ipswich and get back into the Premier League - never mind the Championship.

"Maybe not back-to-back like Ipswich, but certainly within four years I’d expect to see them back in the top flight."

While MacAnthony's admiration for the operation at St. Andrew's is clear, he does not fear the competition. The Posh are accustomed to punching above their weight class through shrewd recruitment.

"We've gone up against big clubs in League One before and beaten them to promotion," he continued. "It’s just another challenge for us.”

One Birmingham transfer offer set them apart for MacAnthony

Despite recruiting as though they were still a Championship side throughout the summer, there is one Blues transfer saga that has brought their spending power into sharp focus for MacAnthony: their pursuit of Jay Stansfield.

It was reported by Football Insider that the Wagner-led side were offering a package worth up to £6 million for the young Fulham forward, who spent last season on loan with Birmingham.

MacAnthony said: "Birmingham City are blowing everyone out of the water financially, but good luck to them. This is the business we are in and if we were a club of that size it’s exactly what we would do.

"If they are bidding £6m to £7m for Stansfield then fair play."

The sums mentioned for Stansfield would look more at home towards the top of the Championship, if not the lower-end of the Premier League, so to see MacAnthony tip the side for great things is of little shock.

It was a relative shock to see Birmingham dumped out of the Championship despite a turbulent season which saw multiple managers in the dugout.

It was partly through that shock that they were already one of the favourites to get back into the second tier at the first time of asking. Their extensive spending only furthers that assessment of their chances this season.

But nothing in football is guaranteed, and some hefty wage packages are likely to accompany these expensive deals. If the unthinkable happens, and Birmingham miss out on promotion, fans may fear they've overstretched their finances, with little time to have built any substantial trust in the new owner.

The pressure was already on for the Blues, but their financial commitment to success will make it weigh even heavier on their shoulders. With his latest prediction, MacAnthony backs the Midlands club to overcome that obstacle with relative ease.