Birmingham City are close to signing Brighton midfielder Taylor Richards on loan, TalkSport journalist Alex Crook has claimed.

Having previously been part of the academy setups at Fulham and Manchester City, Richards joined Brighton as an 18-year-old back in the summer of 2019.

The midfielder has since gone on to make five senior appearances in all competitions for the Seagulls, including two outings in the Premier League during the current campaign.

Richards also spent last season on loan with Doncaster Rovers in League One, where he scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 48 appearances in total.

Now it seems as though Richards is set for another loan move this month, with this latest update from Crook revealing that Birmingham are set to sign the now 21-year-old on loan.

As things stand, Birmingham currently 18th in the Championship table, eight points clear of the relegation zone, although their immediate focus will be on Saturday's clash with Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup.

The Verdict

This looks as though it could be a smart piece of business for Birmingham.

Following the recent departure of Riley McGree following the end of his loan spell at St Andrew's, the Blues were always going to need to add another option in midfield this month.

With Richards, it looks as though they are going to get that with a player who has plenty of top-flight potential, and who has shown he is capable of getting both goals and assists in the EFL.

That feels like it could be just what Birmingham need at the minute, and it is good to see them moving quickly to respond to the departure of McGree.