"I wouldn’t be paying that" - Birmingham City told to avoid Leeds United transfer | OneFootball

FLW’s Birmingham City fan pundit has discussed whether Blues should pay £10 million for Leeds United forward Mateo Joseph.

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 continue to ramp up their summer transfer window business ahead of the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.

Blues are looking to build a squad good enough to compete back in the second tier after smashing the record League One points tally and resoundingly lifting the third-tier title.

So far this summer, Blues have been backed by Tom Wagner, recruiting nine new faces to the West Midlands.

James Beadle, Tommy Doyle, Phil Neumann, Demarai Gray, Kanya Fujimoto, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Kyogo Furuhashi have all entered the building, while Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Alfons Sampsted have turned their loan moves into permanent stays.

Blues are aiming to reach double figures for arrivals and have been linked with a move for Leeds United frontman Mateo Joseph.

A latest update by Alan Nixon has revealed that the Whites have demanded £10 million to prize the 21-year-old away from Elland Road.

With this news in mind, FLW’s Birmingham City fan pundit has discussed whether Blues should pay that substantial fee.

Mateo Joseph’s goal-scoring record questioned at Championship level

Speaking to Football League World, Birmingham City fan pundit Jason Moore has questioned whether Mateo Joseph is worth the investment, believing his second-tier goal-scoring record doesn’t mirror what the Whites are demanding.

Jason said: “So I know we've got money in the bank, and we’re apparently looking at two to three big signings to get us potentially up, but I don’t know about £10 million for Mateo Joseph.

“He’s someone who has not really scored a lot of goals, granted he didn’t get tonnes and tonnes of game-time for Leeds last season as an out-and-out number nine, but £10 million for a striker that’s not scored that many goals when you’ve just signed Kyogo (Furuhashi) ? No, I wouldn’t be paying that for him, especially having Kyogo and Stansfield there.

“I do think we’ve got to get another striker, but I would not be forking out £10 million for Joseph.

“if they do want to go and fork out £10 million on a striker, by all means, I’m all for it, but not for Joseph.

“I’d want someone who is more proven at this level and you know is going to get you goals, instead of taking a punt on someone that’s only 21 and scored three goals last season.

"So no, not for me, I’d rather get someone else or have Kyogo as the main man.”

Birmingham City should pursue a more proven Championship marksman

It’s clear to see that money is no obstacle for Birmingham City and that they are still free to spend a big amount of money on another forward to bolster the ranks.

However, a move for Mateo Joseph would be more of a long-term investment, as the Spaniard’s goal-scoring return at second-tier level isn’t up to scratch just yet.

The Spaniard netted just three times from 39 appearances, and it’s hard to justify spending such a significant amount of cash on someone that doesn’t appear to be making promising strides in their career.

If Blues want to get out of the Championship as quickly as possible, then a move for someone of Jamie Vardy’s ilk should be at the forefront of their minds.

The West Midlands outfit have been touted to make a move for the 38-year-old, with his 18 goals in the 2023-24 term showcasing he still has what it takes to contribute regularly at this level.

At this moment in time, Joseph hasn’t got a consistent enough goal-scoring record to be a success in a promotion-contending team, with £10 million seemingly a waste of funds that could be vital to where they finish at the end of the season, if spent wisely.