Birmingham City ace Jude Bellingham has sent a message to Jeremie Bela on social media, welcoming him to the club.

Blues announced the signing of the forward on a free transfer yesterday, with the 26-year-old signing an initial three-year deal at St Andrew's - with the option of a further year.

The forward was a free agent after leaving Spanish side Albacete, where he was able to establish himself as one of the most exciting talents in the Spanish second division, scoring eleven goals.

Birmingham confirmed that Bela has received international clearance, meaning he will be able to play against Fulham in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.

Bellingham, who has been one of the standout players for Birmingham this season, has posted a photo of himself and Bela in action together in training on his personal Instagram story and added a message to his new teammate, welcoming him to the club.

Birmingham have a made a promising start to the season under Pep Clotet and have won three out of their last five league matches. The Blues are currently 12th in the league table, three points outside the play-offs.

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The Verdict

This could be a very shrewd addition for Birmingham. Bela is an exciting player and he's capable of playing in a variety of different attacking positions.

The Blues have made a positive start to the season, but there's no doubt that they could do with a bit more firepower after losing Che Adams in the summer - Bela should be able to make sure they improve in the final third.

He's a talented player and his goal record in Spain is very impressive. It'll be interesting to see if he can replicate that scoring form in the Championship, or whether it takes him a bit of time to adapt to a new league.