I will never play for Birmingham city again: key player has departed from club

Birmingham has spent the majority of their time in the Championship’s bottom half since John Eustace’s contentious sacking in October.

Wayne Rooney’s tenure as manager may be considered a catastrophe, since he won only two of fifteen games and was fired after only three months in charge. Tony Mowbray then took over, winning four of his first eight games as the Blues began to recover their form.

Sadly though, the club recently announced that Mowbray will be temporarily stepping away from on-site management of the club due to requiring medical treatment. Mowbray is expected to step away for the next six to eight weeks, meaning Assistant Manager, Mark Venus, will take charge on a temporary basis.

With the club in the bottom half of the table, the season is practically a write-off, so they must be looking ahead to next season already. In the summer, Birmingham will have some big decisions to make regarding which players remain at St Andrews and which depart.

Today, Football League World picks out nine Blues players who will likely leave at the end of the season.

Gary Gardner

The 31-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season which would put an end to his six-year spell with the club. In previous seasons, Gardner has been a regular in midfield for the Blues, but this season he has spent most of the time on the bench and looks likely to be departing.

Marc Roberts

A similar story to Gardner, as Roberts was once a regular for the Blues, but now spends a lot of the time on the sidelines. Roberts’ contract is also set to expire at the end of the season, and if the Blues are aiming for an overhaul of their squad, they will probably look elsewhere rather than offering the defender a new contract.

Neil Etheridge

Backup to John Ruddy between the sticks this season, Etheridge is due to become a free agent in the summer, and Birmingham are unlikely to offer him a new contract. The 34-year-old joined the Blues in 2020, and could be putting an end to his four-year spell with the club.

Marcel Oakley

Birmingham have two choices ahead of next season in regards to Oakley. His contract is set to expire in the summer, so they could either release him or offer him a new contract, but even if he does remain at St Andrews, he will struggle to break into the starting eleven, so he could be sent out on loan. Either way, there is a strong chance he will depart from June onwards.

Bradley Mayo

The 19-year-old goalkeeper joined Birmingham as an Under-9, and progressed through the club’s youth system before becoming a pro in 2022. Similarly to Oakley, his contract expires in the summer, so he will either depart as a free agent or remain at St Andrews and likely be sent out on loan.

Josh Williams

Another youngster who could be set for departure in the summer is Josh Williams. The 21-year-old spent the first half of the season on loan with League One strugglers, Cheltenham Town, and only made one league start, so it is unlikely that Birmingham will have much use for him next season. Williams still has two years left on his contract, so another loan move makes sense.

Alfie Chang

The 21-year-old is one of Birmingham’s brightest young talents, but has missed almost the entire season through injury. When he returns from his spell on the sidelines, the Blues may wish to send him out on loan in order to get some regular football in his legs.

Jordan James

Birmingham will do incredibly well to keep a hold of James in the summer. The 19-year-old made plenty of headlines in January, as Serie A club Atalanta were reportedly on the verge of completing a deal with the player. A move never materialised, but there will be plenty of eyes on the midfielder in the summer, with Birmingham valuing him at £10 million.

Lukas Jutkiewicz

Jutkiewicz has been a superb servant for the club over the last eight years, but his time at St Andrews could be coming to an end with his contract set to expire. It is clear for everyone to see that he is no longer the regular striker Birmingham can rely on to score important goals, having made just a handful of league starts this season.