Birmingham City are in an interesting position heading into the January transfer window sitting in 17th place in the Championship.

The Blues have not finished above 17th position in the last five campaigns and therefore have an opportunity to achieve progress in the second half of the season.

That said, at the halfway stage Birmingham have an eight point cushion on the relegation zone, certainly healthy but not one that is unassailable if they fail to engage properly in the January transfer window.

Riley McGree's loan has expired and the energetic midfielder has returned to his parent club Charlotte FC ahead of the new MLS season, which means that Lee Bowyer and his recruitment team already have one spot in the squad that needs replenishing going into the window.

Here, we have taken a look at some of the transfer business that could happen next month...

In

A McGree replacement will be top of the list but Birmingham could also do with some added depth in other areas.

Bowyer has been stubbornly deploying a three at the back system with very few specialist wing backs this season and therefore a couple of shrewd additions in wide areas could completely revolutionise the way they play.

Jordan Graham and Jeremie Bela have made a good fist of it playing out of position, however sourcing a couple of wing backs on loan deals or pursuing a player like Barnsley's Clarke Oduor would give them the best chance of achieving a top half finish.

Out

Harlee Dean looks destined for an exit in January if the club can find a new suitor for him.

The motivation for the move seems to be that the Blues are keen to get him off of the wage bill, but it feels unlikely that another second tier club will be interested. Bowyer's stance has been made clear on the situation, now it is more a case of waiting to see who comes forward for his services.

We brought you the exclusive last week that Ivan Sanchez and Ivan Sunjic could also be set for an exit as the club continuing their cost cutting endeavours. In addition to that, Juan Familia-Castillo's loan spell from Chelsea has not gone to plan, the 21-year-old has made just two substitute appearances in the league and an alternative destination could be preferred by the player.