3 EFL clubs who should hijack Birmingham City's £30k-a-week offer for talented star - West Brom feature | OneFootball

FLW have looked at three clubs that should rival Blues in their attempts to sign standout Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku

Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku is set to leave the Weston Homes Stadium at the end of his contract this summer, and Championship new-boys Birmingham City are reportedly leading the race for his signature ahead of next season.

Poku was one of the most in-form players in English football at the start of this term as he notched 10 goals and five assists in his first 15 matches, while he picked up the third-tier's Player of the Month award for both September and October as a result of his standout showings.

He suffered injury issues midway through the season, but returned to fitness and form in the last few months to help Peterborough avoid a shock relegation to League Two. That was his parting gift to the Posh fans, with the club confirming that he is to leave for a compensation fee this summer in their recently-released retained list.

Football Insider reported in mid-April that Blues had opened talks to sign him this summer after their promotion back to the Championship was confirmed, while Football League World have followed up those claims by exclusively revealing that the Second City outfit plan to offer Poku a stunning £30,000-a-week contract in order to beat Rangers to his signature in the months to come.

It is still unclear where Poku will end up in the coming months, but Birmingham will not be the only EFL club eyeing a move for his services. FLW have picked out three Championship teams who should be rivaling the League One record-breakers in attempting to sign the 23-year-old this summer.

West Brom

West Brom looked set to be a real contender for promotion from the Championship for the majority of this campaign, but their form massively tailed off following the appointment of Tony Mowbray midway through the season, so much so that the legendary Baggies boss was relieved of his duties before the campaign had even ended last month.

Their hunt for a new boss will now be taking priority over any potential player incomings, but that should not stop them from being interested in impressive wide-man Poku, who would be a smart addition to their attacking ranks based on who could leave The Hawthorns in the coming months.

Congolese international winger Grady Diangana has already been confirmed as being on his way out after six years with the club in which he was a key player and helped them win promotion to the Premier League. Diangana was a regular under Carlos Corberan and Mowbray throughout this season, and so the Baggies will be looking to replace him with a similar mould of attacker in the transfer window.

Not only that, but West Brom could well be consigned to losing star right-winger Tom Fellows, who notched 14 assists in the Championship this term and has previously been of reported interest to Premier League side Everton.

It would be a huge blow to lose him, but selling him for a sizeable figure and bringing in Poku for a tribunal fee would surely represent smart business, especially given that they both specialise in the exact same right-midfield position.

Meanwhile, the Baggies' consistent ambitions of being a top-six second-tier side would match both the 23-year-old's and Midlands rivals' Blues' aims, so it would not be a surprise to see him choose The Hawthorns over St. Andrews if that situation arose.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough's inconsistencies have held them back from securing a place in the play-offs this season, and questions will no doubt be asked of Michael Carrick this summer after they failed to come close to promotion once again.

Boro have been the nearly men so often over the last few years in the Championship, as they have finished inside the top 10 in each of the last four full seasons, but have only reached the play-offs once in that same period.

It is clear that they are going to need reinforcements in the coming transfer window, and a versatile forward who has the potential to play at an even higher level like Poku needs to be on their radar for potential incomings.

Carrick often sets up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with two wingers and a number 10, which would suit the 23-year-old as he favours playing in either of those positions. It is also fair to say that the likes of Marcus Forss and Morgan Whittaker have flattered to deceive in front of goal for Boro this season, so attacking signings are needed in the summer.

As well as that, tricky winger Ben Doak was impressive in his spell at the club on loan from Liverpool, but injury cut his season short, and he seems unlikely to return to the Riverside Stadium for next season.

There is clearly space that will need to be filled in Carrick's squad for next term, and Poku himself would surely be open to a move to the Teesside outfit, given that they consistently challenge towards the right end of the league, and would be able to offer a decent wage that could match what Blues are reportedly offering him.

Watford

A slightly more left-field, but potentially realistic, summer destination for Poku could be Watford, who have been consigned to another campaign in the Championship after a run of poor results that saw them pick up just five points from the 27 available in the final nine games of the season.

Tom Cleverley won plaudits from supporters and neutrals alike for the job he did in charge of the club, despite that run, but mercurial owner Gino Pozzo moved to sack him just days after the end of the campaign this week, insisting that the decision was "for the good of the football club."

Their poor form is indicative of a squad that needs a real overhaul, with adding fresh attacking impetus surely set to be high on the agenda this summer regardless of who is in charge.

The Hornets' current options in the forward areas are lacking, to say the least, with just three senior, recognised wingers in their squad as it stands, in Kwadwo Baah, Tom Ince and Rocco Vata. Giorgi Chakvetadze can also play out wide, but is usually preferred in attacking midfield.

With that said, Watford clearly need to focus on bolstering their attacking ranks, and so Poku would be a really smart signing if they were able to convince him of a move to Vicarage Road over joining Blues.

Despite their recent experience of being a top-flight club, they are currently stuck in the second-tier with promotion seeming unlikely anytime soon, so it would be fair to assume that he may not want to join them over a club on the up like Birmingham, but their handy location close to London could play a part in possibly bringing him to WD18.

The Ghanaian international was born and raised in Croydon, in the south of the capital city, and so may well be tempted by a move closer to home at just 23-years-old.

They may have struggled in recent years, but are still a club and a squad with the potential of competing near the top of the second-tier, so Watford could, therefore, swoop to become his next club in the coming months.