Championship side Birmingham City have ended their pursuit of Torino’s Afriyie Acquah to focus all their efforts on landing Ogenyi Onazi from Trabzonspor, reports CalcioMercato.

25-year-old Acquah has been at the Serie A club since 2015 following spells at Palermo and Hoffenheim, and has gone on to net five goals and lay on five assists in 54 appearances for the side, four goals of which coming in the Italian top-flight.

However, only 22 of those appearances came last term as the Ghana international, capped 29 times by his country, struggled to nail down a regular first team spot in Turin, and as a result was attracting interest from Birmingham boss Harry Redknapp earlier in the summer.

In fact, the Blues reportedly launched an €8 million bid for Acquah, but recent reports suggest that they have ended their pursuit in the 25-year-old, and are instead focusing their efforts on landing Trabzonspor’s Onazi.

The Nigeria international only moved to the Turkish side last year following a long association with Serie A giants Lazio, but enjoyed a decent season in the Super Lig, appearing 32 times overall and bagging two goals in the process.

And it appears that he is the midfield ace being targeted by Blues chief Redknapp, as the 70-year-old seeks to bolster his midfield ranks ahead of the rest of the Championship season.

And by reportedly ending their pursuit of Acquah, they can now focus all their efforts and attention in getting a good deal done for 24-year-old Onazi.

The Verdict: Harry Redknapp has already added the industrious Cheikh N’Doye to his midfield ranks this summer, but clearly feels that more power and strength is needed in that department.

And in Afriyie Acquah and Ogenyi Onazi, the 70-year-old is lining up players to do just that, but with N’Doye already through the door, alongside the other midfield options such as Maikel Kieftenbeld and Robert Tesche, it’s unlikely that they need both this summer.

And it appears that Redknapp is prioritising a move for the younger and slightly less expensive Onazi instead, whose Serie A and national team experience could be invaluable in the Blues’ quest to climb the Championship table.

Birmingham fans… what do you make of the news? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!