Birmingham City has made a wise decision by securing another League One ‘specialist’.
Birmingham City confirmed their released and retained list on Saturday evening, including a contract extension for midfielder Keshi Anderson.
This financial stability is why it wasn’t surprising to see a player like Jonson Clarke-Harris, a prolific League One striker with Midlands ties, move to Rotherham United recently. Blues can set their sights a bit higher this summer.
However, the squad still needs players with League One experience, making the decision to extend Keshi Anderson’s contract for another year a smart move. Anderson was a regular under John Eustace and Gary Rowett last season and showed enough quality to warrant another year in the third tier. His game intelligence and team-first mentality saw him keep Juninho Bacuna and Siriki Dembele out of the team in the final weeks of the season.
Although Anderson’s tendency to hesitate in front of goal limited his scoring and he only registered two assists, his overall value is clear. The 29-year-old is a skilful player on a relatively low salary compared to others at Blues in recent years. Additionally, Anderson has experience winning promotion from League One, having been part of the Blackpool team that earned promotion to the Championship via the play-offs in 2021, starting in their 2-1 victory over Lincoln City in the final at Wembley.
Alex Pritchard, who underperformed after his January switch from Sunderland, still has two years left on his contract to turn things around. The 31-year-old midfielder also has League One promotion experience, having starred for Sunderland in the 2022/23 season with four goals and nine assists, and played a key role in their play-off victory over Wycombe Wanderers to secure a place in the Championship.
Another player in the Blues squad who has previously excelled in League One is Dembele. However, there is uncertainty about his future at the club following a challenging end to his first season at Blues.
The 27-year-old needs to rebuild his reputation at the club after struggling midway through the campaign. Considering he moved on from League One three years ago, it’s uncertain whether he will be willing to drop back down. He might have to.
An in-form Dembele in the third tier is an exciting prospect. He scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 42 League One games, helping Peterborough secure automatic promotion in the 2020/21 season.
While the Blues’ recruitment team has significant work to do this summer, some key elements for a promotion push are already in place.
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