Leicester City target should be on Birmingham City's radar as Wrexham alternative: View | OneFootball

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Anticipation will be high among Birmingham City fans, as the January transfer window is not far from opening.

It is expected, given the recent takeover and the fact Wayne Rooney has been appointed manager, to be a busy January for the Blues, as they eye some movement.

When Rooney was appointed, it was claimed that he could be backed in the transfer window, and while it is unclear if that will happen, talk has already started on who they might be interested in signing.

According to a report from The Sun, it was claimed that Rooney was eyeing a move for Wrexham midfielder Elliot Lee in January.

Lee has been in outstanding form for Wrexham and has seemingly caught the eye of Rooney. It was later claimed by Birmingham Live, that the attacker wasn’t of interest to Birmingham, but at this stage ir remains unclear if he is a target or not.

Leicester City most recently.

Grønbæk joined the Aarhus GF Youth team in 2018, and from there he made his way up the youth groups before making it into the first team in 2020.

The 22-year-old, who can operate in central midfield as well as out wide, stayed at the club until 2022, during which he played 86 games, scoring eight goals and providing the same number of assists.

Last year, he joined Bodo/Glimt, and from afar, he looks to have taken his game to the next level.

The midfielder has featured heavily for the team, playing in the league as well as the Champions League qualifiers, the Europa League, and the Conference League.

So far, Grønbæk has 20 goals and 11 assists to his name in 66 appearances for the Norwegian side.

It was reported recently, that Leicester as well as European sides including Napoli, Galatasaray, and Lille were all interested in signing the 22-year-old in January.

Birmingham from looking at Grønbæk if they are keen to sign that type of player.

Why should Birmingham City join Leicester City in the race for Albert Grønbæk?

Obviously, this would be a very ambitious move from the Blues, as the 22-year-old is not only playing European football, but he has sides looking at him that can offer him more than they can.

However, since taking over the club, Birmingham’s hierarchy have been clear that they want to take the club to the next level, and signing someone like Grønbæk, who is wanted by other teams including Leicester, would be a good start.

The Danish midfielder has been performing very well this season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions so far while grabbing eight assists. Grønbæk has started all 27 games he has been available for, during which he has played a total of 2,307 minutes of football. Furthermore, given his decent numbers this season, the 22-year-old is averaging a goal every 0.35 times per 90 minutes, while he adds an assist to his name every 0.20 times per 90 minutes, as per Fbref.com.

That means Grønbæk is having a goal contribution every 0.55 times per 90 minutes he plays, which is the best he has ever done in the seasons he has played. The midfielder has a pass competition rate of 74.1% per 90 minutes, with progressive passes being 3.53 and progressive carries being 3.20, as per Fbref.com.

So, looking at those stats, the midfielder would be the ideal type of player to play in Rooney’s style that he is trying to implement. Grønbæk has an eye for goal and looks to be comfortable on the ball, and while Lee is very similar, Grønbæk would definitely be an upgrade and somewhat of a statement signing.

This is obviously all ifs and buts, but it would be a great start to the January transfer window if Birmingham were able to beat not only these European giants but the Championship leaders to a signing like Grønbæk. The 22-year-old would no doubt upgrade the Blues’ midfield options.