The 8-figure transfer fee Birmingham City look set to pay for Kyogo Furuhashi | OneFootball

Birmingham's summer window is really starting to take shape.

Birmingham City and Stade Rennais are in "very advanced" negotiations over a deal for Kyogo Furuhashi.

The high-rolling Blues are starting to flex their financial muscles and show all of their competitors just how heavy a weight they can pull in to St. Andrew's.

Five new additions have been made this summer, with former City youngster Demarai Gray and Fenerbahce full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel being the latest of them.

Gray's return to the East Midlands was confirmed on Thursday evening after Birmingham agreed a deal with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq, whilst on Friday morning, a three-year contract for Nigeria international Osayi-Samuel was announced - and more could be set to come soon.

Birmingham City edging closer to Kyogo Furuhashi deal - it could cost eight figures

Reinforcing their attacking options has been a key point of focus for Chris Davies this summer, which is why the addition of Gray could prove to be so vital.

They have also been pursuing another forward option in Kyogo for the past few weeks, with their interest in Stade Rennais' 30-year-old being reported by Japanese outlet Sponichi Annex.

He arrived in France back in January after a fruitful three-and-a-half years with Celtic, for whom he scored 85 goals in 165 appearances.

They paid €12 million for the Japan international, but, after only making six Ligue 1 appearances following his move across the English Channel, Rennes are willing to let him go.

It has now been reported by French outlet L'Équipe that Birmingham are close to agreeing a deal with Rennes for Kyogo.

Talks are at a "very advanced" stage over a deal that could reach the €12 million (£10.3 million) mark that the forward's current club paid for him in the winter, if all the bonuses end up being paid.

This isn't unfamiliar territory for the Blues under their current ownership.

Last summer, City paid Fulham a reported £12 million-£15 million for Jay Stansfield while they were in League One, smashing the third tier transfer record they had already beaten a couple of times prior in the same window.

Kyogo's arrival in Birmingham could have domino effect for other Blues forwards

Despite his diminutive size - he is only five-foot-seven - Kyogo is a true number nine.

He played that leading role exceptionally well during his time on the green side of Glasgow, and that's where he should be deployed if Birmingham can get this deal over the line.

That would leave Davies with an extremely strong group of centre-forward options. On top of the Japanese star and Stansfield, Blues would also have Alfie May and Lyndon Dykes to choose from.

There simply aren't enough minutes to go around for all of them to get good opportunities next season, and it could mean that at least one of that quartet will need to be pushed out of the door.

Dykes was the least used of Davies' striker options last season and, therefore, would feel like the natural candidate to go out on loan, even if he does offer something different as more of a battering ram.

A sale of the Scottish international is less realistic given he only signed his three-year deal with the club last summer after leaving QPR for £1 million. A temporary move, on the other hand, may work best for all parties, as there'd likely be a number of Birmingham's second tier competitors who'd quite like to take Dykes for a year on a potentially discounted deal.