Birmingham City are edging closer to completing a deal to sign Cardiff City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge according to the Daily Mail. 

Etheridge was attracting interest from both West Ham United and Aston Villa earlier in the summer transfer window, but their interest has failed to materialise into formal bids being made.

The shot-stopper struggled for consistent game time in the Cardiff team last season due to injuries, which saw Neil Harris often select Alex Smithies in his starting XI.

Etheridge has been with Cardiff City since 2017, and has caught the eye with a number of impressive performances in the last few years for the Bluebirds.

Neil Harris' side finished fifth in the Championship table last term, but they missed out on promotion back into the Premier League after a defeat to Fulham in their play-off semi-final.

It is also reported that Etheridge is close to securing a move to Birmingham, with a medical being scheduled for Thursday.

A move to Birmingham City could tempt Etheridge as well, with the Blues being in the market for a new goalkeeper, after confirming that Lee Camp had left the club in the summer of 2020 when his contract reached a conclusion.

They have also signed Andrés Prieto, and it'll be interesting to see which goalkeeper will start between the posts if the move for Etheridge is finalised in the near future.

Birmingham finished 20th in the Championship last term after a dismal run of results saw them slide down the second-tier standings at an alarming rate.

They host Brentford in the opening round of fixtures in the Championship this weekend, in what is certain to be a tough test for Aitor Karanka's side.

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The Verdict: 

This is a really good signing.

Etheridge has a considerable amount of experience of playing in the Championship, and I think he'll fit into the Birmingham team perfectly.

He needs regular game time after struggling for minutes with Cardiff, and I think Birmingham will be able to offer him just that this season.

If he can hit the ground running, then this is an excellent addition for the Blues.