Birmingham City co-owner Tom Wagner believes the Blues will be in a competitive position in the Premier League within four years.
The American businessman acquired a 45.64% share in Birmingham in May 2023. However, his first season proved to be a disaster. Opting to part company with John Eustace with the club occupying a place in the Championship play-off positions, they brought in Wayne Rooney.
The former Manchester United and England striker lasted less than three months as they slid down the table, with Tony Mowbray taking charge in January 2024. The veteran boss was forced to take medical leave a month later which saw Gary Rowett arrive in March. He was unable to halt the slide though and they were condemned to relegation to League One.
Unwilling to languish in the third tier, Wagner set upon building a squad not only capable of blowing the rest of the division out of the water but challenging at the top end of the Championship. A series of multimillion-pound deals were sanctioned and Birmingham became record breakers by securing the title with 111 points.
Wagner Sets Sights On Premier League
With a new 62,000 seat stadium in the works, Wagner has his sights firmly set on the Premier League. Speaking to i News, he revealed his four-year plan:
“Ideally, we’re highly competitive in Premier League football. When we look at our revenue and trajectory, we’re right there.
“If we were to be put into the Prem today and receive the additional revenues that are generated by media rights, we’d be in the top two-thirds of the Prem in total revenue, and we’d be in the top two-thirds of the Prem in media impressions.
“I have a high degree of confidence that as we move forward over the next few years, we’ll not only achieve promotion but we’ll continue to grow the revenue so we’re in the position to be competitive in the Prem, not simply a participant.”
Writer’s View
The financial juggernaut being created at Birmingham is impossible to ignore. Tom Wagner and co. have demonstrated that they will stop at nothing to turn the Blues into one of the biggest names in English football. Although they took a step backwards with relegation to League One, they took two forward this season by buying big, but more importantly buying smart. With a significant amount set to be invested into the playing squad again this summer, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them challenging at the top end of the Championship next season.
