Birmingham City are in talks to sign Derby County midfielder Krystian Bielik, according to a report from the Telegraph
What is the latest news regarding Krystian Bielik?
According to the report, the Championship side are locked in talks with the League One outfit for the Polish international, with the fee potentially reaching £1m
The midfielder spent last season on loan at the Midlands club, making 35 appearances in the league and recording one goal and one assist across the campaign.
Birmingham look set to be under the new ownership of American hedge fund manager Tom Wagner soon, and manager John Eustace will be hoping to make Bielik his first signing of the new era.
Will Krystian Bielik join Birmingham City?
Bielik joined his parent club Derby from Arsenal in the summer of 2019 for a fee that could’ve risen to £10m, should all of the performance incentives been met.
The Polish midfielder has had an incredibly unfortunate time at Pride Park, suffering a pair of devastating knee injuries in back-to-back seasons that kept him out of action for a combined 634 days.
Ahead of last season, following Derby’s relegation to League One and the potential of a place in the Polish national team for the 2022 World Cup, Birmingham swooped in and picked him up on loan for the season.
Across the campaign, Bielik averaged a 6.77 rating, according to WhoScored, which was the second-highest average rating in the Birmingham squad for players who played over 2000 minutes
The midfielder is a defensive powerhouse, having averaged 1.92 blocks per 90, 2.17 clearances per 90 and 2.07 aerials won per 90 ranking him in the top 10% of all players across Europe's "next eight" leagues over the last year, as per to FBref. The Pole also averages 2.04 tackles per 90 and 1.45 interceptions per 90, further showcasing his defensive solidity
The Blues stand to get a fantastic deal for the 25-year-old colossus, with his market value currently €2.8m (£2.4m).
One reason why the midfielder, who was described by journalist Ryan Conway as Derby County’s “X-Factor”, is available for less than half his market value is his contract situation, with the players deal at Derby set to expire in the summer of 2024.
Should Birmingham be able to complete this deal despite their potential FFP problems, they will secure a fantastic midfielder who could help them in their quest to finish in the top half of the Championship for the first time since the 2015/16 campaign.