Birmingham City manager Lee Bowyer says he expects the club to complete a loan deal for Wolves goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.

With Neil Etheridge currently recovering from Covid-19, and Andres Prieto having left the club following the mutual termination of his contract, the Blues are in need of some fresh options between the posts.

Sarkic has been on trial with Birmingham over the past few weeks, and has featured in three friendlies for the club.

The 23-year-old did make one costly error as Bowyer's side were beaten 3-2 by League Two club Northampton Town, but has otherwise impressed between the post for the Blues.

Indeed, it seems Bowyer has seen enough to convince him to move to bring Sarkic to St Andrew's for the coming campaign.

Speaking about that error from Sarkic in that game against Northampton, and the goalkeeper's prospects of earning a deal with the Blues, Bowyer told Birmingham Live: "I am glad he has done it here and not in a proper game.

"I said, ‘Look, things happen in football, it’s how you react as a person’, and I thought second half he did well, he tidied up behind the back lads really well at times.

"He still kept trying to pass it, which was the right thing to do, so fair play to him. I just said ‘Never do it again’. I think that deal will get done, he has done really well since he has been with us, so I think that will happen."

If confirmed, Sarkic could become Birmingham's eighth signing of the summer transfer window, after Chuks Aneke, Jordan Graham, Dion Sanderson, Riley McGree, Tahith Chong, Juan Castillo and Ryan Woods.

The Verdict

I think this is a sensible perspective for Bowyer to take on the issue.

No goalkeeper is ever going to go through his entire career without making an error, just as no outfield player will do so.

As a result, it would be harsh to hold this particular moment against Sarkic, particularly when Bowyer has seemingly been happy with the rest of what he has done.

Indeed, with Birmingham in need of a goalkeeper given the situation with Etheridge and Prieto, it is encouraging for them that Bowyer is now confident of getting a deal done here, to give the club some welcome cover in an all-important position.