Fabrizio Romano reveals medical update on seven-figure Birmingham City target | OneFootball

Cremonese defender Emanuel Aiwu is reportedly set to have a medical with Birmingham City today ahead of a £3 million move to the Championship club, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

It's been a hugely impressive window for John Eustace and the Blues, who have also enjoyed an outstanding start to the new campaign and sit third in the table with 10 points from their first four games.

Birmingham City summer transfers

American businessman Tom Wagner completed his takeover of Birmingham in July and has backed Eustace significantly this summer to help the young coach can build on the progress he made in his first season at St Andrew's.

Signed on permanent deals this summer are defenders Dion Sanderson (Wolves), Lee Buchanan (Werder Bremen) and Ethan Laird (Manchester United), midfielder Krystian Bielik (Derby County) and attackers Tyler Roberts (Leeds United), and Siriki Dembele (Bournemouth).

Forward Koji Miyoshi and winger Keshi Anderson also joined on free transfers while Blues won the race for in-demand Fulham striker Jay Stansfield, who is on a season-long loan at the West Midlands club.

The sales of Tahith Chong, to Luton Town, and Jobe Bellingham, to Sunderland, have helped to fuel the spending this summer and it appears Birmingham are not done yet.

Emanuel Aiwu latest

According to Romano, the Blues have sealed a £3 million agreement with Serie B side Cremonese for Aiwu.

It is understood that the 22-year-old is set to have his St Andrew's medical today ahead of a move to Birmingham this week.

Who is Emanuel Aiwu?

The Austrian centre-back came through the youth systems at SKN St. Pölten and Admira Wacker - establishing himself as a first team player with the latter before securing a seven-figure move to Rapid Vienna in 2021.

After featuring 39 times and helping Rapid secure a fifth place finish in the Austrian Bundesliga in 2021/22, he joined Cremonese in a multi-million-euro deal last summer.

He played 27 times for the Italian side last summer, struggling to hold down a regular starting place in the second half of the campaign, and was unable to help his team avoid relegation back to Serie B.

The former Austria U21 international fits the profile of a modern central defender - he is comfortable and confident playing out from the back, reads the game well, and has impressive recovery pace.

He was linked with Burnley back in May but it now seems he is set to join Eustace's squad as competition to the likes of Dion Sanderson and Kevin Long.

Aiwu signed a four-year deal with the Italian club when he joined from Rapid last year, meaning he is under contract there until the summer of 2026.

With Cremonese dropping down into Serie B, it's not a huge surprise that they're willing to cash in on the defender and get back roughly what they paid for him around 12 months ago.

Is Emanuel Aiwu a good signing for Birmingham City?

The 22-year-old looks like a really exciting prospect and someone that could be the long-term successor to Long in central defence.

A modern centre-back with plenty of athleticism, it's clear to see why Eustace is a fan of him and given what we've seen from the young coach so far, moving to St Andrew's could be really beneficial for the Austrian's development.

Birmingham have had a hugely impressive window so far and adding a little more depth at centre-back would certainly continue that as it's the one position that looks a little light in terms of numbers.