Now under the stewardship of John Eustace, Birmingham City will be hoping to kick on and progress after last season's 20th-place finish.

The Blues will be hoping to recruit enough quality during what remains of the summer transfer window, with their opening day clash at Luton Town just over three weeks away.

One player that the Blues have been linked with ahead of a possible permanent move is Newcastle United defender Ciaran Clark, as per a report from Daily Mail.

What do we know so far? 

Holding an interest in the experienced Newcastle defender, the Blues will have to face competition, as Sheffield United are also in pursuit.

West Brom have also been previously credited with an interest in the Premier League defender, with the 32-year-old currently training with Newcastle's U23s.

The same report has claimed that the Blues are after a second Newcastle player, with Dwight Gayle on the Birmingham radar too, although he still possesses two years left on his current deal at St James Park.

Is it likely to happen?

It will be interesting to see how this one progresses, with Newcastle keen to offload the defender so that they can bolster their 25-man squad.

Given the ability he has shown in the past, it will be no surprise if other Championship outfits join the race, complicating a potential deal for the Blues.

At this moment in time, it would appear that if the likes of Sheffield United and West Brom were to continue their interest, then they will be in a better position to secure his services.