Birmingham City Aiming To Break League One Transfer Record

Birmingham City are looking to smash the current League One transfer record with a deal for Sparta Rotterdam striker Tobias Lauritsen, according to reports from German publication Fussball Europa.

The Blues are reportedly keen on a deal worth between £5 million and £6 million for the 26-year-old Norwegian as they look to bounce back to the Championship at the first attempt following last season’s relegation.

The Midlands club are set to spend big money this summer following a dismal campaign which saw them utilise six different managers over the course of a season where they finished 22nd in the Championship.

Birmingham City & Sunderland Set To Miss Out On £4 Million Transfer Target

However, with investment from owner Tom Wagner and an ownership group including the likes of NFL legend Tom Brady, Birmingham City appear willing to spend on levels not seen in the third tier before. There are suggestions that the club intend to spend up to £20 million this summer, with new manager Chris Davies seemingly being given as much money as he needs to try and achieve promotion.

Currently, the transfer record in the division belongs to Sunderland, who splashed out £3 million on the signing of Will Grigg in 2019. Should a deal for Lauritsen be completed, that record could almost double overnight.

The Norwegian has recorded 28 goals in 73 games across all competitions for the Eredivisie outfit since joining in 2022, finishing as his side’s top scorer in both campaigns, including the 2022/23 season where they narrowly missed out on European qualification. Before his time in Rotterdam, Lauritsen spent his early career in his native country, scoring 73 goals overall, including 32 in a five-year spell at Eliteserien side Odd.

The striker, who stands at around 6’4’’, remains uncapped by the Norway national team despite his rise in recent years, with Lauritsen behind the likes of Manchester City star Erling Haaland in the pecking order.

Lauritsen’s contract with Sparta runs out next summer, so the Dutch side will be hoping to do a deal to avoid losing the player on a free this time next year. A move to St Andrew’s would be a coup for an ambitious Blues side, who aren’t being shy about their targets this term.

Writers View

Should a deal materialise, this would be a real statement of intent from Birmingham City.  Lauritsen has top-flight experience and is heading into his peak years, so it would be a fantastic signing as the Blues look to get back to the second tier at the third attempt.

It’s a deal that will leave rival fans worried about facing City this year, with possibly more still to come from owner Wagner’s seemingly endless pockets of money. One thing is for sure, Birmingham aren’t messing around this season.

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