Promotion chasing Birmingham have looked solid this season but need a boost if they are to come up triumphant in a fiercely competitive play-off race, which stretches right down to 17th position in the Championship table.

Just six points separate the top-six from Ipswich Town in 17th, which means the situation in England's second-tier can shift in a matter of weeks.

Just one blip in form could see Birmingham decline, which the club need to be wary of.

Birmingham's top-scorer this season, Lukas Jutkiewicz, has netted five goals in the Championship, averaging a goal every 168 minutes of football, and the Blues could certainly benefit with a lethal striker in January that can contend for the top-scorer claim in the league.

With Jutkiewicz way behind the Championship's leading goalscorer Dwight Gayle, it's clear there is room for improvement at St Andrew's and these THREE options in the January window are realistic ones that could fire Gary Rowett's side to the Premier League.

Jordan Rhodes

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Jordan Rhodes excelled with Middlesbrough, helping the Teesside outfit secure promotion to the Premier League, but has struggled to earn regular appearances in the top-flight due to the signing of Spanish forward Alvaro Negredo.

The Scottish international would be advised to move to a new club in January if he wants more regular first-team appearances and returning to the Championship would be a good move, as he can establish himself as the leading striker once again and can fire Birmingham to promotion.

Kyle Lafferty

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A loanee with Birmingham at the back-end of last season, Northern Ireland international Kyle Lafferty has been very outspoken with his requests for more regular first-team football.

However, Norwich City have been unable to provide those chances.

With his international future in contention, Lafferty should seek a permanent move in January and a return to Birmingham would be a good move for all involved.

At 29-years-old, Lafferty has the experience to aid Birmingham but convincing Norwich to sell to a rival could be difficult.

 

Dmitriy Poloz

Another European option for Birmingham, the FC Rostov striker has hit four goals in the club's maiden Champions League campaign.

Their remarkable year, which included a 3-2 win against Bayern Munich in midweek, has put the Russian side as the name on everybody's lips.

However, their domestic campaign has been hindered by their European commitments and due to the small stature of the club, they're likely to struggle to remain as contenders.

Therefore, their better players could be sold on and Dmitriy Poloz could impress in English football.