Birmingham should reignite their interest in Callum Burton, as a bold move for Rangers’ Jack Butland looks unlikely.
Rangers’ offer is probably out of reach for the Plymouth Argyle player, so Birmingham City should make a move again.
It’s clearly clear that Wayne Rooney will need to make a lot of progress at Birmingham City during the January transfer window.
Even though the schedule has been very challenging, many have justifiably questioned the choice to fire John Eustace and replace him with the England great after the team managed just one point in five games.
However, the Blues management is certain that this is the best course of action, so they will now need to back Rooney as he tries to establish himself in the squad.
There have already been rumors concerning who he could look to bring in, with Jack Butland being a name that has been mentioned in the past.
However, the former Blues stopper only joined Rangers in the summer, and he has quickly established himself as a key player at Ibrox, so a transfer seems highly unlikely.
Nevertheless, the fact that Butland emerged as a target suggests Rooney wants a new number one, and it’s a view that many will agree with.
Even though John Ruddy is a fairly reliable performer and a good character around the place, he is 37 years old now, so he’s certainly past his best. He hasn’t been brilliant under Rooney either, and he didn’t cover himself in glory in the recent loss at Sunderland, even if he’s by no means their only issue.
If Birmingham are in the market for a new number one, then Plymouth’s Callum Burton could come into consideration.
On paper, he certainly wouldn’t be the most exciting signing, as Burton hasn’t played above League One level in his career, and he isn’t the first-choice at Home Park.
But Burton stepped up last season in Michael Cooper’s absence, and he was excellent, helping the Pilgrims during a critical period as they won promotion, with many of their key wins during the run-in down to the fact they kept clean sheets.
That prompted interest in Burton from the Blues and Swansea in the summer, but the keeper remained at Plymouth.Yet Cooper is back on goal, and with Burton’s contract expiring in the summer, a move seems inevitable.
Despite the high-profile owners at St. Andrew’s, Birmingham aren’t expected to be big spenders in January, partly due to FFP issues, and it’s a notoriously difficult month anyway.
That means they could be looking for bargains, and Burton will fit the bill as he will be available for a knockdown price due to his contract.
Some may feel Burton isn’t an upgrade on Ruddy, and you can respect that view, but the reality is that he hasn’t been given much of an opportunity, and it’s Cooper’s fine form at Plymouth that has prevented him from showing what he can do this season.
However, Burton was on Birmingham’s radar during the summer, indicating that they believe he can move up, and anyone who saw him play last season would concur.Because of the ownership and Rooney, there may be an expectation of high-profile acquisitions at Blues, but they need to exercise caution as they try to assemble a team that can challenge for promotion in the future.
Therefore, even though Cooper might not be the most visually appealing acquisition, he might be just what they need as they begin to assemble the necessary pieces to advance under the new leader.
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