Birmingham City have cemented themselves as Premier League promotion contenders after an outstanding summer transfer window.
Birmingham City are preparing for life back in the Championship after a record-breaking League One title win.
So far in the summer transfer window, several high-profile additions have been recruited by Chris Davies, signaling the Blues’ intent on instant promotion back to the top flight.
Birmingham signed Kyogo Furuhashi in an impressive coup, which followed Tommy Doyle’s Birmingham move and the reunion with Demarai Gray.
Despite the Blues attracting a litany of supreme talent to St Andrews this summer, one Championship expert has picked out an already familiar face to be the key man for Birmingham next season.
Photo by James Baylis – AMA/Getty ImagesChampionship expert backs Christoph Klarer as Birmingham City’s key player
Earlier this year, Birmingham owner Tom Wagner wanted an “aggressive” transfer window, and his wish has certainly come to fruition.
Birmingham have ‘blown away’ Championship rivals this summer with their expenditure and attraction of top talent, and the signings have shown no signs of stopping.
Eiran Cashin joined Birmingham from Brighton this week, after Birmingham beat several Championship rivals to sign the defender.
However, one second tier expert believes that a figure already in Davies’ squad, Christoph Klarer, will be an “absolutely massive” cog in the Birmingham machine next season.
Ryan Dilks told the Second Tier podcast: “Birmingham City are coming up to the Championship with one of the strongest squads we’ve ever seen.
“That’s even before all the signings they’ve already made, like Tommy Doyle. One of the big reasons for them having a seriously strong squad, though, is Christoph Klarer.
Tommy Doyle poses with the Birmingham City shirt after completing his loan move from Wolverhampton Wanderers
Credit: Birmingham City FC/YouTube
“The thing is, with Birmingham, yes, they spent a lot of money, but the difference between them and let’s say another team who had a lot of money in League One last season, they’ve got a mix of a lot of money and top quality scouting, and Klarer is the best example of that.
“In my eyes, this guy has been a top-end Championship centre-back who was somehow signed by a League One team.
“He played nearly every game for Darmstadt in the Bundesliga the season before, and this coming season he will be absolutely massive, literally and figuratively, to Birmingham’s ambitions.
“Because he was Birmingham City’s player of the season, not a bad thing to have on your CV considering it was a record-breaking side, and the guy is an absolute monster who will head bricks,
“He’s good on the ball and I’m really looking forward to seeing his partnership with new signing Phil Newman because it’s going to be absolutely pivotal to Birmingham’s season and the potential for yet another promotion.”
Christoph Klarer will be one of best centre-backs in Championship
Klarer has continued his outstanding form from last season, which was pivotal to Birmingham’s title win, into the Blues’ pre-season preparations.
The Austrian scored in the 3-1 win over Spanish giants Sevilla earlier this month, and the 25-year-old is poised to become one of the best central defenders in the Championship next season.
Christoph Klarer’s defensive statistics for Birmingham City last season, data from Fotmob
Birmingham were last in the top flight several seasons ago, and we at EFL Analysis have tipped the Blues to earn promotion in our early 2025/26 Championship predictions.
Klarer’s resolute defensive displays will certainly be, in the words of Dilks, “absolutely pivotal” to those aspirations next season.