Why Leeds United's Mateo Joseph is the kind of gamble Birmingham City should be taking | OneFootball

Mateo Joseph could fire Birmingham City to the Premier League if they can finalise a deal for the Leeds United striker.

Birmingham City are preparing for life back in the Championship, as they look to make it back-to-back promotions.

Under their US ownership group, Blues have been hugely ambitious, with their remarkable spending spree last summer attracting plenty of attention.

That paid off, as Chris Davies led the side to the League One title in style, and Blues are in a great position in that many of their squad are capable of playing in the second tier.

Birmingham City will need a prolific number nine this summer

So, wholesale changes aren’t needed this summer. Instead, Davies and the recruitment team will be working on a smaller number of players that will come in and improve the XI straight away.

And, in the eyes of many, a new striker has to be one of the priorities, to ease the pressure that will be on Jay Stansfield next season.

Whilst Alfie May has scored goals in royal blue, he is yet to play in the Championship in his career, and, at 31, it seems unlikely he will be the preferred striker moving forward.

Lyndon Dykes does have experience at this level, but he has scored just one league goal since his arrival from QPR.

Mateo Joseph could be an ideal fit for Birmingham City

Therefore, they need a new striker, and it’s a position Blues should look to spend a big chunk of their budget on.

It has been reported that Mateo Joseph is a target, and that is a move that would make sense for all parties.

Firstly, Joseph clearly needs to leave Leeds for the sake of his career, and he has been linked with a host of clubs in France and Spain, and the Whites turned down a £10m offer for the player earlier this year.

Obviously, that’s a big sum by Championship standards, and some will point to Joseph’s goal return last season as a reason to avoid the Spaniard, as he only found the net three times for the best side in the league.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story, as Joseph was a young player who was struggling for confidence initially, and then he couldn’t get back in the team regularly as Daniel Farke’s men continued to pick up results.

Plus, there was pressure on Joseph at Leeds, and he struggled with that at times. It felt as though he was always trying to prove himself as the main man, and that held him back.

In a strange way, that would be different at Blues, even if he commanded a big fee, as the money spent would show they had faith in Joseph, and he would arrive at St. Andrew's with confidence and understanding that he will play week in, week out.

Then, most importantly, he has the quality to flourish in this attacking Birmingham side.

At his best, Joseph is an explosive striker, who has smart movement, the pace to run in behind, and he is cool in front of goal. That’s why some high-level clubs are tracking the Spain U21 international, and it’s why Leeds feel they will get an eight-figure sum for the attacker.

Of course, there are areas of his game that he needs to improve, but working with a coach like Davies, who has shown he can develop youngsters, could be exactly what the striker needs.

If things do click with Joseph, he is a player with enormous potential who could lead the line for Blues for the next five to ten years.

There’s no getting away from the fact that Joseph would be a calculated gamble, and one that many Championship sides wouldn’t be able to take. Yet, Birmingham’s financial muscle means they can, and it’s one that could pay off spectacularly if he takes the Midlands outfit back to the top-flight.