Birmingham City should consider reducing the price of Reading FC striker

After struggling to get money out of China, Royals owner Dai Yongge missed a deadline to deposit 125% of the club’s expected September salary into an account as part of the decision to an independent commission against him, that is, Ruben Selles’ faction. have had a further three points deducted from their League One total.

The Spaniard is doing his best in difficult circumstances at the Select Car Rental Stadium, but the worst may be yet to come in the form of player sales.

According to a report from The Athletic, club staff are already preparing for player sales ahead of the January transfer window in a bid to raise funds, with individuals set to stay at the Royals until early 2024 but funds to be withdrawn from football team. Transactions will be paid immediately to the bank in Reading.

This appears to be the only way Yongge will recoup money from the club before a possible buyout, and one player who could attract attention is striker Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan.

Who is Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan? A product of the Royals youth academy, Ehibhatiomhan signed his first professional contract just over two years ago, but only got his first chance in the league during the 2022-23 season when he started on his debut. played from the bench in August against Cardiff. .

After scoring his first professional goal that same month in an EFL Cup tie against Stevenage, Ehibhatiomhan didn’t really play much until the end of the season, and on his fifth league start he equalized before Preston North End in April. 2023.

Ehibhatiomhan will be given his chance under interim boss Noel Hunt from the start and he is now playing a key role under Selles in the 2023-24 League One season, scoring five goals in 10 games in all competitions.

The 20-year-old’s contract is expected to expire at the end of the 2023-24 season and his performances will certainly attract the attention of Championship clubs, especially given the current situation of Reading – and that is expected to include Birmingham City.

Looking at their current standout options, Birmingham really don’t have many options – especially teams with their best years ahead of them. Jay Stansfield is of course on loan from Fulham and hasn’t always played as a central striker, while Scott Hogan and Lukas Jutkiewicz are both in their 30s and haven’t improved.

It’s clear that head coach John Eustace lacks depth in this area and bringing in a younger, stronger striker to replace Jutkiewicz could one day be a smart move.

Ehibhatiomhan’s height – 6-foot-3 – would make you think he’s a target man, but that’s not the case at all.

For a player of his caliber, Ehibhatiomhan has good short-distance pace and he has shown that many times for the Royals, and Birmingham have shown in the Championship what he can do with a player. A game-changer coming off the bench who brings something different. . with what they already have.

And as Reading’s finances become increasingly desperate, a reduced price may need to be agreed – especially considering Ehibhatiomhan’s contract situation has less than a year remaining. The smartest investment Birmingham’s relatively new American ownership could make, then, is in Ehibhatiomhan – a deal that could be done quickly enough for the youngster to arrive in January and he He has the raw tools to become a quality striker.