Vicente signing leaves Birmingham City flop on the brink

Birmingham City’s ambition to reach the Premier League remains clear, and promotion is still a realistic aim this season. With 16 matches remaining, the Blues sit five points outside the play-off places and remain firmly in contention for a top-six finish, having most recently secured a 2-0 victory over Oxford United.

Given their genuine promotion push in their first season back in the Championship, the club were proactive during the January transfer window.

Manager Chris Davies strengthened his squad with six new signings and completed the permanent capture of Patrick Roberts following his loan spell from Sunderland.

Roberts’ permanent arrival looks like smart business. The winger has already contributed three goals and four assists in the Championship this season, underlining his reliability at this level. While he may not be viewed as a long-term Premier League option, Birmingham know exactly what he offers in the second tier.

Among the other January additions, Jonathan Panzo stands out as the least eye-catching signing. The centre-back struggled during his time at Rio Ave, making costly errors and receiving a red card in just 13 league starts, and is likely to be used mainly as cover in defence.

Carlos Vicente, however, has been ranked as Birmingham’s standout January acquisition. The £7m signing arrived from Deportivo Alaves with an impressive record, having scored ten goals and registered three assists in 25 appearances during the first half of the season in Spain’s top flight.

His pedigree was immediately evident as he picked up an assist on his debut against Oxford United.

Vicente’s proven quality at a higher level places him ahead of the likes of Kai Wagner, Jhon Solis, August Priske, Ibrahim Osman and Roberts, with Solis and Osman having joined after struggling for form in LaLiga and Ligue 1 respectively.

Vicente’s arrival has had a direct impact on the rest of the squad, particularly in the wide areas. With Davies now boasting increased competition out wide, one player deemed surplus to requirements was allowed to leave on loan.

Scottish winger Scott Wright joined Dundee on deadline day for the remainder of the season, a move made possible by Vicente’s signing. Although Wright remains under contract at St Andrew’s until the summer of 2027, his time at the club appears all but over.

Birmingham are expected to look for a permanent exit in the summer, as Wright has failed to make a convincing impact since arriving from Rangers at the start of the 2024/25 League One campaign.

He managed just three goals and one assist in 19 appearances across all competitions, with the majority of those contributions coming in the EFL Trophy rather than the league.

At Championship level, Wright featured sparingly and offered little in attacking output, a continuation of struggles that were evident during his final spell at Rangers, where he recorded just two goals and one assist in 58 appearances.

For a club with Premier League aspirations, Wright has not shown the consistency or quality required even in League One, let alone higher divisions.

As Birmingham continue to build a squad capable of sustaining a promotion push, Vicente’s signing has raised the standard in attacking areas and underlined the gap between the club’s ambitions and Wright’s performances. A permanent departure in the summer now looks the most logical outcome for all parties.