Exclusive: "I just wonder" - Sky Sports pundit casts doubts over Birmingham City, Oli McBurnie pursuit | OneFootball

The former Sheffield United striker is attracting interest in the Championship and abroad

Birmingham City have been linked with a move for striker Oli McBurnie, joining the congested race to land the Scotland internationa's services.

That interest was revealed at the weekend by journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon page, with Blues joining the likes of his former clubs Swansea City and Sheffield United, as well as Hull City and Celta Vigo in being keen on the 29-year-old.

McBurnie moved to Spanish side Las Palmas last summer, but Nixon reported last month that the forward had a relegation clause within his contract that allows him to move on from the Canary Islands outfit for absolutely nothing.

Uncertainty raised over Oli McBurnie's suitability to Birmingham City

We asked former second tier striker and current Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman whether Birmingham is a club that McBurnie would fit into, and his response suggests that he would not be convinced that he would be the best fit for where City want to be.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Goodman said: “Yeah, I just wonder how Oli McBurnie, that style, fits into a Chris Davies-type team.

“When you look at the big lads he had at his disposal last season in Lukas Jutkiewicz and Lyndon Dykes, neither of them really started.

“I’d probably say Oli McBurnie is slightly more mobile than those lads, but he's never been, apart from one season at Swansea, the most prolific striker.

“He did okay for Las Palmas last season, but yeah, it would be an interesting signing, and it would be interesting, if he did end up there, to see how Chris Davies would utilise his attributes.”

Striker precedent does not support Oli McBurnie

As Goodman states, big and physical no.9s did not always fare well with the Blues last season under Davies.

Jutkiewicz made just 16 League One appearances, scoring just one goal, while Dykes suffer similarly, netting just once in 25 league outings.

With the likes of Alfie May and Jay Stansfield on their books, registering 24 and 22 goal contributions respectively, there are valid questions to be asked regarding whether Birmingham need McBurnie.

That’s not to mention the fact that Las Palmas tied the former Sheffield United man to a three-year deal last summer, so they will not want to let him go cheaply.

Birmingham City may be able to use the money better elsewhere

There is not only McBurnie’s fee to consider, but also his wages.

According to estimates from Capology, McBurnie commands a wage of €40k at Las Palmas, which equates to just over £34k at current rates.

According to the Daily Mail, a weekly wage of £30k is thought to be the top end of the Blues’ budget meaning McBurnie is likely to at the summit of their wage structure, potentially even stretching it further than the club want to go.

Given he has only hit double figures in the Championship twice in his career, and is now 29 years old, the finances of the deal for the likely reward don’t quite feel like they add up.

If McBurnie was going to be a cheap signing, then perhaps for experience and cover he’d be a shrewd signing, but the former Scotland international doesn’t look like being that this summer.