Like most Championship clubs this season, Birmingham City have been wildly inconsistent yet are not that far off the play-off places.

There's not much to separate a lot of outfits in the division and Lee Bowyer's side currently sit in 16th - closer to the top six than they are the relegation zone in terms of points.

The arrival of Troy Deeney to his boyhood club in the middle of a good run of early season form was supposed to lift the Blues even higher but results suddenly shifted and since the closure of the summer transfer window, Birmingham have won just five out of 16 matches.

 

 

 

 

January will soon be around the corner though which means there is an ability to do transfer business once again, although it could be outgoing business that needs to be done before anything else - let's look at two players who could leave the club next month.

Juan Castillo

Soccer Football - FA Youth Cup Final Second Leg - Arsenal vs Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 30, 2018 Arsenal's Vontae Daley Campbell in action with Chelsea's Juan Castillo Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Soccer Football - FA Youth Cup Final Second Leg - Arsenal vs Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 30, 2018 Arsenal's Vontae Daley Campbell in action with Chelsea's Juan Castillo Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

The 21-year-old left-wing-back arrived in the summer on loan from Chelsea and it clearly indicated which system that Bowyer was going to head into the 2021-22 season with.

Whilst that was the case and a back three with wing-backs has been used, Castillo isn't the one that has taken a starting berth with Jeremie Bela regularly featuring in that role despite being a natural winger.

The Dutchman has appeared just twice in the Championship with his second outing coming against Coventry City off the bench just a few weeks ago but both he and his parent club will probably not be satisfied about the lack of minutes he's been receiving.

That's why a termination of the loan in January wouldn't be a shock and it would free up some wage budget and perhaps allow Bowyer to look for another wing-back.

Jonathan Leko

Soccer Football - Championship - Wigan Athletic v Charlton Athletic - DW Stadium, Wigan, Britain - September 21, 2019 Charlton Athletic's Jonathan Leko in action with Wigan Athletic's Sam Morsy and Joe Williams Action Images/Paul Burrows EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please
Soccer Football - Championship - Wigan Athletic v Charlton Athletic - DW Stadium, Wigan, Britain - September 21, 2019 Charlton Athletic's Jonathan Leko in action with Wigan Athletic's Sam Morsy and Joe Williams Action Images/Paul Burrows EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Leko isn't actually at the club right now anyway, having re-joined former side Charlton Athletic on a loan deal until the end of the season.

He's been a real hit back at The Valley when he's been fit and after going 34 games in the Championship last season without scoring, Birmingham may consider cashing in if Charlton have the funds to do a permanent deal.

Leko clearly fits in at the Addicks but maybe not so much at St. Andrew's and with Deeney arriving in August the youngster slid down the pecking order anyway.

A permanent switch for the forward could be the right move for all parties.