There can be no denying the hugely admirable job that Birmingham City manager Garry Monk has at St Andrew's since taking over the club.

Having managed to steer the club away from the relegation zone in the final months of last season, Monk steadied the ship following Birmingham's nine point deduction for exceeding Financial Fair Play regulations earlier in the season.

Now however, it seems that Monk may be about to face his biggest task yet as Birmingham manager.

If Blues are to compete for the play-offs again next season, then they will surely have to strengthen in the summer transfer window, and Monk's latest comments appear to suggest that he at least believes that will not be an easy task.

Speaking about bringing on loan midfielder Gary Gardner back to the club from Aston Villa in the summer, Monk admitted that any deal that may take place would have to suit them financially, and that is something that is likely to worry those concerned with the club's prospects.

With the threat of FFP still evidently looming large in Monk's mind, it appears as though Blues will be treading carefully, and perhaps a bit too cautiously for their fans liking when it comes to their attempts to bring fresh faces into the club over the summer.

That may well hamper their hopes of a play-off place in itself, not to mention putting a number of other clubs on alert.

Already as the season has approached its end, reports have once again started to grow linking top scorer Che Adams with any number of Premier League clubs.

If any of those top tier sides are to pick up on Blues' financial difficulty, they may be further inclined to make an offer for Adams that, with the books needing to be balanced, Birmingham simply cannot refuse.

Given the strikers own hugely significant contribution to Monk's side this season, that again would prove a big blow to their hopes of a top six finish.

Both Monk and the club's fans therefore will not be expecting this to be an easy few months, with the club potentially set to struggle to bring players in while battling to keep hold of their current key assets.

It seems a harsh reality for Monk to have to face given what he has done at the club so far. This however, could be out of his hands, and that does not bode well for Birmingham.