"I would be surprised" - Claim made on Willum Willumsson situation at Birmingham City | OneFootball

FLW's Birmingham City pundit gives his thoughts on the future of Willum Willumsson.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Birmingham City's magical season will come to a conclusion on Saturday as they travel to already relegated Cambridge United looking to have one final special away day.

This season has been nothing short of remarkable with every player contributing to their success, from Lukas Jutkiewicz to Ryan Allsop.

Yet, as they prepare for life in the Championship, several players will be under the spotlight, with the Blues setting their sights on a strong push towards the top end of the table.

One name who has struggled to catch the eye in the second half of the season is Willum Willumsson.

The Icelandic international made a magical start to life at St Andrew’s, but since January he has managed just two goals and two assists – the most recent coming in Sunday's clash with Mansfield Town.

Heading to the second tier, they can't afford to have any passengers and whether Willumsson will be up to standard in the tier above is under question.

Willum Willumsson backed to be a figure in Birmingham's Championship squad

To get a St Andrew's point of view on Willumsson's future at the club, Football League World spoke to their resident Bluenose, Mike Gibbs, who admitted that an attacking midfielder will be a pivotal position for them next season.

"It is a difficult one with Willumsson," Gibbs told FLW.

"First couple of games he was off the pace, but then he scored against Wycombe and had a real purple patch in the first half of the season. His injury took him out of his rhythm, and since coming back he hasn't quite been the same player.

"Some of the best players who have come and played in the UK often had their best seasons after their first or second years. So, I would be surprised if he doesn't improve next year - he has another level to go.

"I feel like those attacking midfield positions are up for grabs. They're probably where we need to strengthen the most, and certainly if we are hoping to have as much of the ball as we have had this year."

Birmingham City could be looking for a new number 10

This season, the Blues have utilised a host of attacking midfielders from Jay Stansfield to Luke Harris, but Willumsson has been the mainstay in that position.

In total, the 26-year-old has provided 12 goal contributions and his underlying figures of creativity do read well. However, in the tier above, they will need him to step-up with the gap between the second and third tiers ever widening.

If Chris Davies and his recruitment team aren't satisfied with his performances during the 2024–25 campaign, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them look elsewhere and bring in a fresh face for that position. Owner Tom Wagner has already stated that the club is prepared to break its previous transfer record, and strengthening that area of the pitch is likely to come at a heavy price.

Willumsson will no doubt understand that his position will be under threat and a strong pre-season will be needed for him to retain his spot.