Birmingham City have entered the race to sign Fleetwood Town defender James Hill, according to a report by the Birmingham Mail.

It is understood that the Blues have already had two bids rejected by the League One outfit as they look to seal a move for the 19-year-old.

A separate report from the Daily Record earlier this year revealed that Manchester United and Liverpool were both keeping tabs on Hill, who was the subject of an unsuccessful bid by Rangers in the previous transfer window.

Barcelona have also been touted as potential suitors for the defender whilst Burnley are also believed to be interested in striking a deal for Hill in January.

Hill's current contract at Fleetwood is set to expire next summer and thus the upcoming window will give the club the opportunity to secure a reasonable fee for him if he is not willing to sign a new deal.

During the 2021/22 campaign, Hill has made 15 appearances for the Cod Army in all competitions.

Currently being forced to watch on from the sidelines due to injury, the defender may have played his final game for Fleetwood.

The Verdict

If Birmingham are able to convince Hill to make the move to St Andrew's next month, this could turn out to be an almighty coup by the club.

Considering that Blues boss Lee Bowyer recently opted to place Harlee Dean on the transfer list, he may need to draft in a replacement for the centre-back and thus Hill could fit the bill.

The teenager is currently averaging a respectable WhoScored match rating of 6.77 in League One and has managed to win 4.5 aerial duels per game at this level.

Although it may take the defender some time to adapt to life in a new division, there is no reason why he cannot go on to thrive under the guidance of Bowyer.

Hill's arrival could also force the likes of Marc Roberts, Dion Sanderson and George Friend to step up their performance levels during the second-half of the 2021/22 campaign.