This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Regular Punter’ series, where we gather original opinions from select, passionate fans of the clubs concerned on matters surrounding their team and share them with a wider audience…

Football League World’s Birmingham City fan pundit Alex Young believes adding free agent Josh McEachran would be a “shrewd signing” as he would complement defensive midfielder Ivan Sunjic well.

According to The Birmingham Mail, the 26-year-old, who saw his deal with Brentford expire in the summer, has been handed a trial by the Blues ahead of a potential contract offer.

The Chelsea academy graduate has significant Championship experience, with 143 games under his belt, but has struggled to really settle and thrive at any of his previous clubs.

Pep Clotet added multiple midfielders to his squad this summer, including Fran Villalba, Dan Crowley, and Ivan Sunjic, but Young suggested that McEachran could still be a useful addition.

He explained: “Birmingham find themselves in a difficult situation with their midfield – getting the balance between defensive cover and attacking threat in the middle third looks to be one of Clotet's key challenges this season.

“I was not surprised to hear the Blues had taken an experienced midfielder on trial but for it to be one with the pedigree of McEachran, a name much-hyped during his time as a youth player at Chelsea, is intriguing.

"His skill-set would complement Sunjic well. Sunjic is a battler and a tough-tackler, whereas McEachran can offer a penetrative pass or help to dictate play and ease pressure in defensive areas of the pitch.”

Young added that he believes it could be a smart move from the club as long as they negotiated the right deal.

He said: “I think it would be a shrewd signing if McEachran is offered a sensible deal.

“The Blues will be wary of Financial Fair Play after the points deduction last season and so must get the correct type of deal put on the table.

“There's no doubt McEachran is an upgrade on David Davis – Blues captain Harlee Dean said this week that McEachran was the best technical player he'd ever played with – and can offer a more commanding presence on the ball, picking passes and controlling the tempo of the game.”

He concluded: “I wouldn't get too excited with the signing – there's a reason he was released by Brentford and why Sheffield Wednesday opted against giving him a deal this summer when he had a trial there – but he certainly has potential, and at 26 years of age, still has a lot to offer.”

Birmingham face a tough test against second-placed Charlton Athletic at the Valley on Saturday.