"You have to" - Birmingham City, Championship recruitment claim made after £20m reveal | OneFootball

It has been reported that Birmingham will have £20 million to spend this summer

Highlights

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 will have to spend for the future when investing in Chris Davies’ first team squad this summer.

According to Alan Nixon, the Blues will have up to £20 million to spend this summer following their relegation from the Championship.

American owner Tom Wagner is hoping to blow away the competition, with the Midlands outfit eyeing promotion back to the second tier at the first attempt.

Birmingham finished 22nd in the table last year in a difficult first 12 months for the new owners.

But their ambition for the team is clear, with plans also in place for improving the club’s facilities despite being in the third tier.

Birmingham must spend this summer

FLW’s Birmingham fan pundit Mike Gibbs expects there to be money to spend this summer, highlighting the number of departures the club has had since the season ended.

However, he has urged the club to prioritise players that can not only compete in League One, but will be ready to play for the club in the Championship as well.

“First and foremost, we’re going to have to spend some money,” Gibbs told Football League World.

“We have 10 players going, and we’re not going to replace them with 10 free transfers, so we’re going to have to spend some money and get players in.

“For me, if the revenue stacks up, and we have that money, and we can spend it in a controlled way, in a way that doesn’t put us in any trouble, then I think it’s absolutely valuable.

“I think the other side of it for me is, you have to buy players that aren’t just going to see us out of League One, they’re going to be ready for the Championship as well.

“Which is what Garry Cook has talked about to be brutally honest, so as long as that money is spent on players for this year but also the next two or three years then I think it’s a wise investment.”

Birmingham's difficult Championship season

Birmingham have not competed in the third tier of English football since 1995, but will be hoping to spend just one year back at this level.

It has been a difficult few years for the Blues, with financial issues plaguing their ability to compete in the Championship prior to Wagner’s purchase.

His first year in charge of the Midlands team was quite rocky, with five different coaches overseeing the first team squad at different stages.

Davies has since been appointed as manager ahead of pre-season, with the task of fighting for automatic promotion to the Championship in 2025.

£20 million budget will blow away League One

A budget of £20 million would far exceed anything anyone in League One can compete with this summer.

That money must be spent well, with future planning also key, as pointed out by FLW’s Birmingham fan pundit.

There is no point buying players to fight for promotion if they can’t also potentially compete in the Championship too, if they earn a top two finish next year.

They will also need to be wary of the league’s finance rules, and shouldn’t overextend their spending too much, as we have seen plenty of examples of that derailing clubs in the past.