Birmingham City are close to agreeing terms with Rico Browne over what would be his first professional deal, according to a report from the Birmingham Mail.
The 18-year-old has yet to make his debut for the Blues' senior side as he has been used exclusively at youth level by the club this season.
Browne's future was the subject of a great deal of speculation earlier this year as he emerged as a target for West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.
As per a separate report from the Birmingham Mail, the defender was believed to be hopeful of securing a permanent move to the Hammers after joining the club on a trial basis.
Browne also had a trial at Tottenham in February but an agreement was not reached with the Premier League outfit regarding a potential switch to north London.
This latest update regarding Browne suggests that Birmingham have seemingly managed to convince the centre-back to stay at St Andrew's for the foreseeable future.
During the current campaign, the teenager has played over 30 games at youth level as he has lined up for the club's Under-18 outfit and their Under-23 side.
The Verdict
Whereas it is important to note that an agreement has yet to be formally announced by Birmingham, this particular update is unquestionably a boost for the Championship side as they would have been fearing the worst when Spurs and West Ham opted to take a look at Browne earlier this season.
Providing that the defender does indeed opt to commit his future to the Blues, he will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nico Gordon and Jordan James in the 2022/23 campaign by featuring at senior level for the club.
Gordon has made 11 appearances for Birmingham since graduating from their youth academy in 2020.
Meanwhile, James has managed to provide two direct goal contributions in the 17 league games that he has participated in this season.
By making strides in terms of his development over the summer, there is no reason why Browne cannot earn the opportunity to showcase his talent in the second-tier later this year.