Birmingham City narrowly avoided the drop last season after an end of season cameo from veteran boss Harry Redknapp inspired the Blues to safety following an abysmal run of form under Gianfranco Zola.

This week has proven to Blues fans how far Redknapp has taken the club since his appointment in April, with the St Andrews outfit almost pulling off an unlikely deal to bring Premier League legend John Terry to the club before he opted for a move to rivals Aston Villa.

Although Redknapp will be disappointed to miss out on the former England captain’s signature, losing out on Terry could be a blessing in disguise for Redknapp’s side, and here’s why.

Terry’s wage demands to drop into the Championship would have been astronomical, and many sides in the league could even fathom splashing out such a sum on a weekly basis on just a single player.

Not signing Terry frees up the wage bill at St Andrews, and Redknapp admitted he would now be able to sign ‘five or six’ new players, having missed out on Terry.

This will come as music to the ears of Blues fans, who will understand that squad depth is far more important than a single big name signing.

Redknapp has already moved to bring commanding Barnsley centre half Marc Roberts into the club, and can now bolster further areas of his side in the coming weeks.

Redknapp has also avoided a media circus, with the Blues season set to become all about John Terry had he signed.

This detracts from the work being done by Redknapp and other squad members, and has the potential to cause rifts and disharmony in a squad that must be tight knit if they are to avoid another relegation scrap and push for a place in the top half.

In all honesty, missing out on Terry is the best thing to happen at Birmingham City this summer, and Redknapp has dodged a bullet by losing out to Villa in this situation.

The media furore surrounding the pursuit of Terry should have raised warning signs to the experienced boss, who can now divert his attentions to building a squad capable of competing in the division next season.