Finishing 20th in the Championship season, it has been an underwhelming campaign from a Birmingham City perspective. 

Lee Bowyer's side have shown glimpses of promise during the season but they have been unable to capitalise on sparks of positivity throughout the campaign.

A Football Insider report from the start of the month claimed that the Blues were edging closer to parting company with Bowyer, citing a tense relationship with technical director Craig Gardner as a key current issue.

A further Football Insider report, that surfaced yesterday, has claimed that recently departed QPR manager Mark Warburton is being considered by the Birmingham hierarchy.

The report states that preliminary talks have been held, with the 59-year-old emerging as the leading candidate.

Warburton, who took charge of QPR following a 19th-placed Championship finish during the 2018/19 campaign, has managed to convert the R's into an ambitious second-tier outfit, that is despite this season ending more disappointingly than would have hoped.

However, he immediately walked into a difficult situation at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, with the 2018/19 campaign being the first season that they would be operating with parachute payments since their 2015 relegation from England's top flight.

Subsequently, there was pressure on Warburton to cut squad costs and the wage bill, with the 59-year-old managing to embark on an upward trajectory straight away, finishing in 13th place the following campaign.

Another pleasing aspect of his QPR tenure was his ability to unearth gems and get the most out of his more creative players in the squad, with the progression of Eberechi Eze, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ilias Chair and Chris Willock all emerging as examples of that.

Warburton had also managed to implement an exciting brand of attacking football in West London, something that would be welcomed at St Andrew's.

It will be interesting to see the calibre of managers that might be linked to the Birmingham managerial role in weeks to come but Warburton seems like an excellent option at this stage.

R's fans seemed to be divided when news came out that the club were parting company with Warburton, with the 59-year-old possessing what is required to improve most Championship clubs.