It’s that time of the year where the cogs of the transfer rumour mill start turning, and it is set to be quite a long summer for Birmingham City, who are strapped for cash. 

Garry Monk’s men had a rather positive season last year but the nine-point deduction overshadowed what could have been a potentially exciting end to the season. 

Around January time, the St Andrew's club looked like they could make a real play-off push, with some positive results meaning they were just outside the top six spots. 

The deduction basically ended the season, with the form never recovering after that mental blow. 

Now, the main thing for Birmingham fans will be how to plan for next season, knowing they could struggle at the bottom of the table.

One headline that is set to dominate the Birmingham press is the future of Che Adams, who looks likely to go to the Premier League this summer.

Birmingham will try their best to keep him, as he has been so vital to their play in the last couple of seasons, being the focal point of their attack alongside Lukas Jutkiewicz.

The 22-year-old attacker scored an impressive 22 goals in the league this season, as well as laying on five assists in the Championship. 

Crystal Palace has been one of several links for Adams, as he looks set for an unsure summer with his future in doubt.

Obviously, it will hurt to let him go, but it may be the best option for Birmingham, as he will reap quite a big transfer fee if they were to sell.

Instead, they should build the attack around Isaac Vassell, who has had an inconsistent year or two at the club, but could flourish if he played regularly.

He failed to score for the club this season, making just 14 appearances in the Championship, but at 25, he could do well if he stays fit for a season.

Overall, it would hurt if Birmingham were to sell Adams, but they would get quite a good financial reward for it, and Vassell is capable of filling his boots to some extent if needed.