Birmingham City striker Lukas Jutkiewicz has signed a three-year extension with the club ahead of the new season.

The target man was a crucial player for Garry Monk’s side last season, scoring an impressive 14 league goals and he is likely to have a similarly important role in the upcoming campaign.

However, his contribution to the team was not limited to goals, with the 30-year-old’s hold up play and ability to bring others into the game vital. He also chipped in with ten assists and his partnership with Che Adams was arguably the main reason that Blues weren’t dragged into a relegation battle.

Therefore, this is great news for Pep Clotet and the Blues fans as the club confirmed on their official site last night that Jutkiewicz has signed a contract that will keep him at St. Andrew’s until 2022.

The former Middlesbrough man had been approaching the final year of his deal in the west Midlands so this will end any speculation that the striker could be moving on.

The verdict

This is fantastic news for Birmingham as you can’t stress enough just how important Jutkiewicz is to the team.

Obviously, his goals and assists highlight that but his teammates and the fans will say he does so much more and he is the ultimate team player.

With a year left on his previous deal, Blues had to act fast and the hierarchy deserve credit for ensuring this has been finalised.

Now, it’s down to the player to try and replicate the form he displayed last season.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.