Exclusive: £20k-a-week Birmingham City star wanted by Championship clubs with transfer exit likely | OneFootball

Blues captain Krystian Bielik could be departing St. Andrew's before the September 1 deadline

Birmingham City defender Krystian Bielik is stuck in the middle of a four-club tug-of-war as he becomes a potential St. Andrew's exit by the end of the transfer window.

The Poland international has a quartet of suitors interested in prising him away from Blues, as he has slipped down the pecking order under Chris Davies.

Bielik, 27, has fallen out of favour during Davies’s tenure - and is now up for grabs.

Championship clubs interested in signing Birmingham City defender Krystian Bielik

It appears that there are no shortage of takers for the former Arsenal trainee who has interest from fellow Championship club, with at least two of those interested being from the second tier of English football.

Bielik signed a new deal at the start of last season and played a considerable part during the League One campaign as Davies’s side smashed record after record to earn promotion as Champions.

But he was edged out of the side as Christoph Klarer and loanee Ben Davies established themselves as first-choice centre-halves - he started just three League One games in 2025 and spent a few periods on the sidelines with injuries.

With Tomoki Iwata and Paik Seung-Ho also keeping Bielik out in his other position at the heart of the engine-room, the Polishman - who is estimated by Capology to be on £20,000 a week at City - ended being on the fringes of the first-team.

Birmingham have strengthened again in both those areas during the summer, with Phil Neumann and Eiran Cashin joining to bolster the royal blue ranks - Neumann started alongside Klarer on the opening day of the season against Ipswich Town at the heart of Davies' defence - whilst Tommy Doyle has joined to add further quality in midfield.

That has again left the Poland international on the sidelines as the new campaign kicks off, and a transfer exit now could be on the cards.

And sporting director Craig Gardner is under pressure to reduce the outgoings after a summer influx of nine players - with potentially more to arrive.

Krystian Bielik needs to depart Birmingham City to enhance international credentials

Bielik will want to stay in the Championship if possible as he has fallen out of favour too with his country, having failed to be selected for last year’s Euros due to his participation in third tier football.

Poland currently sit third in their FIFA World Cup qualifying group having played just three matches compared to Finland's four and the Netherlands' two, but he has not been called up to the national squad since June 2023 - he will need to go and play regular football at a good level to be considered for selection by head coach Jan Urban.