5 Birmingham City transfer mistakes the club must try not repeat in January 2025 | OneFootball

Blues' transfer history under Tom Wagner has been an incredibly successful so far, but they must not make any of these mistakes again.

Birmingham City have made the start to life in League One that many would have thought they were going to make, with the West Midlands club currently on course to be in the automatic promotion race come the end of the season.

Blues did drop off the top of the table after two draws in a row, but they remain an extremely competitive force in the third tier as they look for an instant return to the Championship after relegation last time out.

Chris Davies has got his side playing some excellent football, and Jay Stansfield, especially, is thriving under the 39-year-old.

Birmingham had an incredibly successful summer transfer window, with Tom Wagner showing his financial prowess to help build a squad that is more than capable of competing at the very top of the division.

However, with the January window coming up, Football League World has taken a look at five failed signings that Blues must not repeat at the start of 2025.

Bernard Sun

To this day, not much is known about September 2019 signing, Bernard Sun. The attacking midfielder joined Birminghamas a free agent while Pep Clotet was the manager at St. Andrew's, last playing for Spanish fourth division side, Estudiantes de Murcia.

The ex-China U18 international never made an appearance for Blues during his two years at the club, also failing to make a matchday squad and many forgot that he was still at the club throughout that time.

Sun left at the end of the 2020/21 season following the expiration of his contract, joining German side TF Friedberg, staying there for a year. It was a move that seemed doomed from the start, and although his wage was likely low, a similar deal can only be seen as a huge risk now.

Marcus Bent

Marcus Bent was signed for £1m by Alex McLeish in July 2008, with Birmingham beating out Cardiff City for the signature of the striker from Charlton Athletic, who was highly sought after at the time.

However, it was a move that never paid off for the then Championship side, with Bent making just 33 appearances during his time in the West Midlands. He scored only three goals for his team during the 2008/09 campaign, and with promotion won back to the Premier League, he saw his game-time further limited.

He was sent out on four different loans over the course of the following two years, playing for Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, QPR and Wolves before his time at St. Andrew's came to an end.

For what was a relatively expensive deal at the time, it was one that proved to be wasteful, and with the amount of attacking talent that Davies has at his disposal currently, a signing like Bent can not be afforded in January.

Juan Familia-Castillo

Juan Familia-Castillo was signed on loan ahead of the 2021/22 campaign from Chelsea, with the left-back looking as though he was going to be an exciting addition to Lee Bowyer's side.

But, it was a move that never paid off, and ultimately took up a loan slot, something that Birmingham cannot let happen in January.

The then 21-year-old played just five times for the senior team during his time at the club. His deal was cut short, and the Dutchman moved to Charlton for the rest of the season instead after his very disappointing showing for Blues.

Nicolai Brock-Madsen

Nicolai Brock-Madsen was signed by Gary Rowett in August 2015 from Norwegian club Randers Freja for £500,000, with add-ons raising that fee to £1m.

What looked to be an extremely promising addition to the squad, the then 22-year-old never kicked on at St. Andrew's, and he played just six times in the league for Birmingham despite signing a lengthy four-year contract.

Handing an unproven player like Brock-Madsen such a long deal was a huge mistake, and it was once again money that was not spent wisely by the club.

The striker left by mutual consent in December 2018, but it was a move that had a detrimental impact on his career, with goals still hard to come by for the current FC Fredericia man.

Tyler Blackett

The former Manchester United youngster, Tyler Blackett, spent the latter part of the 2013/14 campaign on loan at Birmingham, but he really struggled in the Championship.

He made just eight appearances for Blues during his short time at the club, giving away two penalties in those matches. It was an extremely difficult move for the now 30-year-old, but he did manage to have a relatively decent career in the following seasons.

Nevertheless, it was a loan that was very similar to Familia-Castillo's, with the defender coming from a Premier League club and looking as though he was not ready for the competitive nature of the Championship.