Birmingham City are closing in on the signing of Mjällby forward Abdoulie MannehAndy Turner-COV and Brian Dick Reach Football Correspondent
10:38, 12 Jan 2026Updated 10:46, 12 Jan 2026
Mjällby’s Abdoulie Manneh (front row, centre) is a January transfer target for Birmingham City(Image: )
Birmingham City are closing in on the signing of Allsvenskan winner Abdoulie Manneh.
The attacker, who had ten goal contributions in 28 games as Mjällby won the league title last year, is set to sign for Blues.
So far in this transfer window Blues have signed Kai Wagner from Philadelphia Union and they are now hopeful of securing a second deal for a player who came close to joining Olympiacos for a reported £3.2m in the summer.
Indeed the 21-year-old has been linked with a move away from Sweden a lot in the last few months, with Coventry City claimed to be front-runners for him in mid-November.
At the time CoventryLive’s Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner spoke to life-long Mjällby fan Richard Mattsson, a 46-year-old investor who had been to every home game last season and often writes about the club, for his in-depth insight on the Gambian.
Background and early showings at Mjällby
RM: Abdoulie came to Mjällby the season before last (2024) following a strong recommendation from Joakim Persson, a Swedish coach at that time with Danish Horsens. For some reason, Horsens did not want to invest in the player, so Joakim Persson contacted Mjällby’s sporting director Hasse Larsson.
When he arrived he honestly didn’t look particularly special, although at times you could see him flash and show some exciting potential. It was only towards the end of the season (the last five matches, to be exact) that he secured a regular spot in the team, and he was really, really good in the final three matches where he also scored a couple of goals (one of which was an incredible long-range finish).
After his fantastic end to the 2024 season (we play calendar-year seasons here, starting in early spring and ending in November), many of us had very high expectations for Abdoulie, and he did not disappoint with 5 goals and two assists in the first six rounds of the Allsvenskan 2025. After that, there weren’t many more points, but he was still a fixture in the starting eleven because he contributes so much more than just points.
What’s Abdoulie Manneh’s current availability/situation in terms of a prospective transfer in January?
RM: The club has been clear that he is likely to be sold in the winter. It would be very surprising if he remains at Mjällby. His young age, combined with how good he already is and his high potential, makes it difficult to keep him. The interest is too great, and the player wants to move to a better league.
What’s his best position and where has he been deployed by Mjällby?
RM: Abdoulie arrived at Mjällby as a forward but has not played many minutes for the club in that position; he was quickly converted into an attacking midfielder. Mjällby plays a kind of 3-4-2-1 with two 10s behind a lone striker, and it is as one of these number 10s that Abdoulie plays.
He’s not as a winger, as I have noted he is described everywhere when foreign media/accounts write about him.
This year he has played almost exclusively as one of two 10s (the only position he has started matches in this year). He has played a few minutes as a striker. He can certainly play as a winger too, but I would say his qualities are best utilized where he has played – as some form of advanced attacking midfielder/trailing forward.
What are his standout strengths, qualities, and attributes i.e. pace, technical ability, etc?
RM: He is fast but would not be one of the Championship’s fastest players. Fast, yes, but more quick/explosive than fast. So a bit faster over short distances than longer ones.
He’s quite technical but not a real dribbler but he’s physically strong, has good stamina and is willing to work for the team, often helping out defensively. He’s a team player even though he has taken a bit too many shots from situations where it would be better to keep the ball or pass it.
What sort of character is he and what sort of relationship does he have with the fans?
RM: Abdoulie gives a shy impression, almost very shy, but none of that is visible on the pitch so I don’t see it as negative. He is well-liked by the fans because he always does his best and doesn’t play for himself.
He’s not a player who stands out off the pitch and I have never heard anything negative about him and he seems very sympathetic and lives for his football.
Does he have any weaknesses or things he needs to work on?
RM: He’s generally excellent at reading the game but one thing he could work on is taking fewer shots when the opportunity isn’t really there. It shouldn’t be hard to fix at all – he listens to his coaches. I remember our head coach once said he actually doesn’t want to tell him to shoot less because he’s worried that Abdoulie might then start taking too few.
Other than that, he can improve his finishing. He has shown he has a very good shot but there have been too many missed opportunities this season. If he adds more clinical finishing to his already impressive arsenal, he can become absolutely lethal!
How much do you think he would cost?
RM: Good question. I don’t think Mjällby would even pick up the phone for anything under £2.5million. They’d probably want at least £3 million, preferably more. Given what players are leaving Allsvenskan for these days, asking £4million or above for a player of Manneh’s quality and potential would be perfectly reasonable, but as low as £3 million might be enough.
As a Mjällby AIF supporter, I obviously hope for as much as possible – the money goes straight back into the club and not into some owner’s pocket because we have the 51% rule here and Swedish clubs are member-owned.
This interview was first published by CoventryLive in November
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