Birmingham Could Break Championship Transfer Record as 'Astronomical' Offer Sent

Birmingham City could be forced to rival the Championship transfer record if they are to land one of their top targets in the current window - after reportedly sending an 'astronomical' offer.

The Blues have spent big since the arrival of Knighthead Capital Management as majority owners - later becoming full owners - in 2023.

They were relegated from the Championship in 2023/24, but Birmingham bounced back last season to win League One with 111 points.

Their return to the second tier has not all been smooth sailing, with the Blues sat in 13th place on 39 points after 29 matches,

Manager Chris Davies has come in for criticism over his approach to away matches, with his side winning just three of their 15 games on the road.

Their home form is much stronger, with just one defeat in 14 games in front of their own fans - albeit with six draws, including a 1-1 draw against Stoke on Saturday.

Regardless of their position in the table, Birmingham were always expected to be active in the transfer market this month to add to the figure of around £20 million they spent on new players in the summer.

They signed striker August Priske from Swedish side Djurgarden last week for a reported fee of around £6 million, while Colombian midfielder Jhon Solis has arrived on loan from La Liga side Girona.

Now, they are heading back into the Spanish market in an attempt to sign winger Carlos Vicente from Alaves, according to reports.

Dutch outlet Voetbal International claim that the Blues have sent an 'astronomical' offer to the 26-year-old as they look to beat Ajax to his signature.

Knighthead chief Tom Wagner told supporters at a fan park on Saturday that the club's next signing will be a Spanish speaker.

There are contrasting reports as to how much the deal could be worth, with the Birmingham Mail quoting a potential figure in excess of around £6 million while Basque outlet El Correo (via Sport Witness) are reporting it at €10 million (£8.6m).

Alaves winger Carlos Vicente is a transfer target for Birmingham (Image: Getty)

Neither of those sums would come close to rivalling the current Championship record, which stands at the £17.5m Ipswich paid to sign Sindre Walle Egeli earlier this summer, but would rank it as one of the biggest deals of the season.

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However, Spanish outlet AS claim that Alaves' league position - they are 15th in La Liga and only one point above the relegation zone - means they are hoping to hold out for Vicente's full release clause, which stands at €20 million (around £17.3 million.

The report adds that Vicente and star midfielder Antonio Blanco have both received significant transfer interest, and the club are keen not to have their squad weakened ahead of the second half of the season.

At this stage, neither Birmingham nor Ajax have yet had a bid accepted, and though it appears unlikely that either will bid close to that figure, it still remains a possibility that Alaves could force the winger's clause to be triggered.

Vicente has scored five goals in La Liga this season, including the opener in Alaves' crucial 2-1 win over Real Betis on Sunday.