Birmingham City

Birmingham City have joined Coventry and Sheffield United in the race to sign Brentford and Nigeria midfielder Frank Onyeka, with the Bees seeking around £8m for the 28-year-old. (Birmingham World), external

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Midfielder Lewis Koumas has returned to Liverpool after being recalled from his season-long loan spell with Championship club Birmingham City.

The 20-year-old played 25 times for Blues, including seven league starts, and scored one goal, in the 3-2 win against leaders Coventry City.

After signing a new contract with Liverpool, Koumas spent last season on loan in the Championship with Stoke City, scoring three times in 43 league appearances.

The Wales international has made one senior appearance for the Reds when he netted in an FA Cup tie against Southampton in the 2023-24 season.

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Birmingham City's leading scorer Jay Stansfield said growing up is helping him cope with his longest goal drought for the club.

The 22-year-old made a blistering start by scoring in the first three games of the season in league and cup.

A double in a 4-1 win against Norwich on 22 November took him to nine goals in 17 appearances, including eight in the league.

But Stansfield, who has 45 goals for the club since joining from Fulham, has been unable to find the net in his 12 appearances since then, including Saturday's 1-1 draw with Stoke.

"It's been the longest time that I haven't scored but I've still been out here and contributing, working hard for the team, and getting an assist here and there is something different to my game," he told BBC Radio WM.

"I think when you grow up you learn not to let it affect you as much as it would have two seasons ago.

"I know my qualities and I know that I'll be on the scoresheet soon and I'm looking forward to that feeling again, but at the moment I'm just making sure that I'm still here doing my best for the team."

Blues are 13th in their first season back in the second tier, within five points of the play-off places after a run of just one defeat in their past seven league matches.

"The league is so tight and everyone is beating everyone so it's up in the air what the season brings for us," added Stansfield.

"But we know where we want to be and we're pushing to do that."

Middlesbrough have beaten Birmingham City to a loan deal for Brighton and Ecuador winger Jeremy Sarmiento, which includes an obligation to buy the 23-year-old on a four-and-a-half-year deal for £3.2m. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Though Blues have entered final negotiations for Deportivo Alaves winger Carlos Vicente in a deal worth almost £7m after facing competition for the 26-year-old Spaniard from Dutch side Ajax.(Noticias de Alava - in Spanish), external

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Sam Fletcher
Final Score reporter

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Has a new attacking partnership been born for Birmingham City during their game against Stoke City?

Despite a 1-1 draw which might feel like a loss for Blues fans, there were positives to take, particularly from new signing Ibrahim Osman, whose powerful and pressing style stood out.

He was linking up well with Jay Stansfield and, as well as some nearly moments from set-pieces, it felt like this partnership was the most likely to have success.

If this is what they can do in their first time of playing together, I think Birmingham can be hopeful about developing this route of service.

In terms of window signings, everyone is talking about August Priske, but I think Osman could be first on the scoresheet.

Birmingham manager Chris Davies excused his "jaded" team after they failed to finish off Stoke but was unhappy with the visitors' "soft" equaliser.

He told BBC Radio WM: "It was a hard-fought match. We didn't start the game as sharply as we normally do but Stoke came into it quite well and we were losing a lot of balls in midfield.

"We grew a bit into the game, scored a good goal from a set-piece, and from that moment on we needed that second goal. We had some jaded legs, possibly after three games in a week, and needed that second goal to be in a strong position to get three points.

"We didn't. The game was still alive and [they scored] a really soft goal which we're frustrated about. If anyone was going to win it, it was going to be us, but it wasn't to be.

[On Tomoki Iwata's goal] "It was pleasing because we don't have a lot of time to work [on set-pieces] but the timing, the movement, it was a really good goal, and a worked routine off a set-piece can open a game up for you in a tight game like that.

"They were trying their best but we weren't quite as fluent. The subs improved us and nearly got our winning goal."

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Birmingham right-back Alfons Sampsted has left the club on a permanent basis and joined Dutch Eredivisie outfit Go Ahead Eagles for an undisclosed fee.

The 27-year-old Iceland international made six Championship appearances for Blues in the first half of the season but hasn't featured since coming on as a substitute in the 3-2 victory over Coventry on 4 January.

In total, Sampsted made 31 appearances for Birmingham and was part of the squad which won the League One title last season.

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A new initiative highlighting the work of football club charities has been launched by the English Football League (EFL).

'Scan to Smile' will be rolled out in stadiums across the EFL from Friday until the end of January, with supporters invited to scan QR codes on posters displayed around grounds.

Each scan will unlock a short, uplifting story from a person whose life has been positively impacted by the support of their local club charity.

The subjects tackled include mental health support, combating loneliness, improving physical wellbeing, employability and confidence.

The EFL said it hoped the initiative would use "the reach and influence of football to offer fans a moment of positivity on matchday".

Trevor Birch, chief executive at the EFL, said: "Behind every club are people whose lives have been positively changed through the work and dedication of their local EFL club charity.

"This initiative gives supporters the chance to see that impact first-hand and reminds us that football truly is a force for good."

Birmingham City midfielder Marc Leonard, 24, is poised to return to Hearts on a loan deal until the end of the season. (Scottish Sun), external

Read all the latest EFL transfer rumours in Friday's gossip column here.

Victory for Stoke City at Birmingham City could be enough to take them back into the top six on Saturday, depending on results elsewhere.

But, such is the competitive nature of the Championship, a win for Blues would move them level on points with their opponents and reignite their hopes of gatecrashing the play-off race.

• Birmingham have lost just one of their past 15 home league games against Stoke City (W9 D5), though that sole defeat came in the two sides' last meeting at St Andrews in December 2023.

• After winning the reverse fixture 1-0 back in September, Stoke City will be looking to claim a first league double over Birmingham City since the 1988-89 season.

• Birmingham have won two of their past three league games (D1), after winning just one of their previous nine (D4 L4).

• Stoke have won each of their past two away league games, keeping a clean sheet in each. The Potters have not won three in succession since December 2005 (4) and have not done so without conceding since November 1975.

• Birmingham have scored in each of their past 14 home league games, last enjoying a longer scoring run at St Andrews between April 1969 and January 1970 (15 games).

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Birmingham City boss Chris Davies has said he would like to add another two or three more signings before the end of the January transfer window if possible.

Blues have already brought in four new players this month: striker August Priske, winger Ibrahim Osman, midfielder Jhon Solis and defender Kai Wagner.

Davies believes the new arrivals have already pepped up the squad.

"It's important in January to get some fresh faces in and the ones we've bought in are young and that brings a certain energy and I think it's just what the squad needed," he told BBC Radio WM.

Brighton loanee Osman and permanent signing Priske, both 21, joined the club this week and Davies has been encouraged by what he was seen from the pair in their first training sessions.

"Ossy is a left winger by trade but can play off the right if needed and he's got real speed," he added.

"His biggest strength is his 1v1 ability and driving at defenders.

"So we're hoping he gives us that speed and threat and he's come here to try to seize his opportunity.

"We hope top try to improve the speed and physicality of the team in this window and he's a good example of that."

As for Denmark Under-21 international Priske, Davies said the striker is full of promise but will probably take a bit of time to settle into the Championship.

"He's a fantastic character and the type of striker who can link, play technically and be physical. He's one that will get better season by season," he said.

"It's not going to be help piling expectation on him immediately - he's new, young and we need to give him space to breathe and grow. We've signed a striker I'm excited about.

"We've got off to a reasonable start. There will probably be another two or three in and maybe two or three out.

"There are no guarantees but that's what I'm hoping for."

Middlesbrough have reignited their interest in Brighton winger Jeremy Sarmiento and are attempting to hijack Birmingham City's deal for the 23-year-old after Blues had already agreed a permanent transfer for the Ecuador international. (Sky Sports), external

Want to read more EFL transfer news and rumours? Check out Thursday's gossip column in full here.

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Birmingham City goalkeeper James Beadle said their first away win since October capped a "perfect" night as they came away from Hillsborough with all three points following a 2-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

The game had looked destined for a goalless draw before late strikes from Marvin Ducksch and Kyogo Furuhashi's first in the league delivered Blues' first victory on the road in nine attempts.

"We had a game plan and stuck to it and got the three points. It was perfect," Beadle told BBC Radio WM.

The keeper, who is on loan from Premier League Brighton, has had two loan spells with the Owls over the last two seasons and said he knew how tricky this game would be.

"Every time you come here it's such a tough place to come - I felt it when I played here," he said.

"We had to be ready for it, weather it and our quality shone through. We got the two goals and kept a clean sheet, so a perfect night."

The result took Chris Davies' side's points tally to seven from the last nine after beating leaders Coventry City and drawing at Swansea in their previous two matches.

With four new signings arriving so far in the January transfer window, Beadle says the signs are looking good for a push towards the play-off places, currently only five points away.

"I think we all know there are changes coming with new players coming in but there's a strong core in the team and a real togetherness shining through," he said.

"There's such quality in our team, you can go through it in each position. We've also got a quality manager so hopefully it's a recipe for something special."

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All English Football League games across a four-day period in February will begin one minute late to raise awareness for the Every Minute Matters campaign.

The initiative will be in place for 36 matches across the Championship, League One and League Two between 5 and 9 February.

EFL sponsor Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have been working together since May 2024 to highlight the importance of speed when it comes to performing live-saving CPR.

Later kick-off times will serve as "a stark reminder that every minute matters", the EFL said.

Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer collapsed while playing for Luton Town eight minutes into the Championship play-off final against Coventry in May 2023.

Lockyer then suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch seven months later during a Premier League game at Bournemouth.

"What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time," said Lockyer, who is now a BHF ambassador.

"Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and most of them never make it home.

"I'm here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life.

"This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given."

Throughout February, the Every Minute Matters campaign will call on fans to learn CPR using the BHF's online RevivR, external tool.

"Each minute without CPR reduces a person's chance of survival, so we're urging fans to learn the skills now, before you ever need them," said Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF.

EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch added: "The one minute kick-off adjustment is a simple, powerful reminder that swift CPR can be the difference between life and death."

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies has said his side "fully deserved" their first win away from home since October after beating Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday.

It took 83 minutes for the net to finally ripple from Marvin Ducksch's close-range shot before Kyogo Furuhashi capped off his 31st birthday with a first Championship goal in added time.

"I thought we fully deserved it with the chances that we had and it's nice to win a game away from home," Davies told BBC Radio WM.

"The most important thing for me as a football manager is the fans. They do a lot of travelling and they support us as well as any team in the league away from home and it's just so nice for us all to give them that to go home with tonight.

"The speed of it wasn't quite there. We weren't actually pressing that well. We created a couple of moments from our possessions but I didn't think we were asserting ourselves on the press.

"I really like the way we started the second half. We seemed to assert ourselves on the game a lot quicker."

Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City will both be in desperate need of a win when they face each other at Hillsborough on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Blues have not won any of their past eight league games on the road, though they did end a spell of four straight away losses with a 1-1 draw against Swansea City last time out.

Whereas for the Owls, winning at all has been a rarity this season.

Their one and only league win came on the 20 September against Portsmouth and they have not tasted victory since.

• This will be the 100th league meeting between Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City, with the Owls winning 35 and losing 37 of the 99 to date (D27).

• Birmingham City have lost just two of their last 11 league meetings with Sheffield Wednesday (W5 D4), although one of those was their last away from home, going down 2-0 in February 2024.

• Sheffield Wednesday have failed to win any of their last five league games against newly promoted sides (D3 L2), their longest run against such opposition since December 2018 (6).

• Sheffield Wednesday have only lost one of their last 10 league games played on a Tuesday (W4 D5), although that was their last at home, going down 0-1 to Blackburn in December 2024.

• Birmingham have won 11 of their last 14 league games played on a Tuesday (D1 L2), although did lose their last 2-1 to QPR in December.