Birmingham City are reportedly keeping tabs on Wolves defender Dion Sanderson ahead of the 2021/22 campaign according to The Northern Echo. 

The Blues finished 18th in the Championship table last term, in what was a frustrating season on the whole for the club's supporters to witness.

They showed much-needed improvement towards the end of last season, as Lee Bowyer pulled the Blues clear of the relegation zone, which will have been pleasing to see.

Sanderson certainly isn't short of offers heading into the summer, with the Wolves defender catching the eye with a number of impressive performances whilst out on loan with League One side Sunderland.

He made 28 appearances for the Black Cats, although his efforts weren't quite enough for Lee Johnson's side, as they missed out on promotion into the Championship.

Sunderland are reportedly rivalling the likes of Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United to the potential signing of Sanderson this summer.

We take a look at ONE winner and ONE loser at Birmingham City if a deal is reached to sign Sanderson.

Winner: Lee Bowyer

The Birmingham City boss is likely to be the winner if a deal to sign Sanderson was agreed this summer, as it would give him added depth to his defensive options ahead of the new Championship season.

Sanderson would be a versatile option to have in any squad at that level, with the 21-year-old showing that he can operate at full-back, or in the heart of the defence, which is a role he had for Sunderland in the second-half of the 2020/21 season.

Birmingham could certainly benefit from adding players to their squad this summer, as additional competition for starting places in Bowyer's squad will see players improve, as they look to secure a spot in the starting XI ahead of the new league campaign.

 

 

Loser: George Friend 

Friend signed for Birmingham City back in 2020, having previously impressed with Middlesbrough earlier in his career.

But the defender has found regular minutes hard to come by with the Blues, with the 33-year-old making 21 league starts for Lee Bowyer's side last term.

In particular, Friend struggled for game time towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign, as Bowyer looked to hand opportunities to younger players in his squad.

Therefore, if Sanderson was to arrive, then that could push the experienced defender even further down the pecking order in Lee Bowyer's plans.