July 11 – The transfer window is open, but not for everyone, at least theoretically. Birmingham City, who have reportedly been placed under a transfer embargo by the English Football league, have nevertheless continued to pursue players currently under contract at other clubs.
Birmingham found themselves in financial difficulty after former manager Harry Rednapp’s brief role at the club that saw him undertake a spending spree during the transfer window last summer. Clubs are now limited to losses of £13 million a season under the current financial fair play rules for the EFL Championship.
The transfer ban seems to be having little effect as the club, through manager Garry Monk’s agent James Featherstone, is reportedly making approaches to players.
High on the list for Monk has been a new goalkeeper after Monk told the club’s existing goalkeepers they could leave if they could find new clubs.
The club failed in a £2.75million move for Ipswich Town’s Poland international goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski, and is now rumoured to be in the hunt for former England stopper Joe Hart.
Kristian Pedersen has agreed terms with the club but it is rumoured his transfer from German second division side Union Berlin has not been approved by the EFL because of the transfer embargo.
As well as goalkeeper, Birmingham reportedly want to sigh four more players with a central midfielder, a winger and a forward identified as acquisition targets.
Offers have reportedly been to a number of Championship players including former Bournemouth striker Lewis Grabban who is currently at Nottingham Forest and qualified for Jamaica internationally.
It seems the transfer market is as disruptive and dirty a business as it ever was, whether you are cleared to trade or not.
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