Birmingham City's financial power has caught the eye of many in recent months and years, with the West Midlands club looking to make great strides of progress towards an eventual Premier League return.
The investment in question is that of Knighthead Capital Management, who were finally able to acquire complete control of Blues on November 7th, removing any remaining shares which still remained in the possession of previous far-Eastern owners, ending 14 years of tumultuous ownership chaos at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, some two years after owner, Tom Wagner, brought an initial controlling stake of the club.
The American's plans for the future have also been well-documented, with the Boston native previously spelling out his vision of back-to-back promotions from League One and into the Premier League for the first time since May 2011.
In order to do exactly that, Wagner has never been afraid to back Birmingham boss, Chris Davies, across the three transfer windows he has overseen since replacing Tony Mowbray in June 2024 in what remains the 40-year-old's first full-time managerial role.
The first tick-box in Wagner's rebuilding job was certainly fulfilled in record-breaking fashion as Blues achieved 111 points in League One last term, and also broke theirs and the division's transfer record by acquiring Jay Stansfield on a permanent basis.
Further high-profile additions this summer, such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Tommy Doyle, Demarai Gray, Marvin Ducksch, Patrick Roberts and Phil Neumann only raised the expectation bars in B9 this summer, with Birmingham currently sat in 11th in the Championship after 15 games played, four points outside the play-offs.
As such, the upcoming winter window could be pivotal in determining the short-term end goal for Blues, with AI-based chatbot, ChatGPT, predicting to Football League World, that they could have a transfer kitty of between £15m and £20m.
With that being said, here are two names who could emerge on Davies' radar to help improve his squad.
Dennis Cirkin
Dennis Cirkin of Sunderland vs Leeds United
Left-back has been a constant issue in terms of depth ever since Davies arrived, albeit Alex Cochrane's individual performance levels have always been consistent.
However, the 25-year-old has very rarely faced competition due to Lee Buchanan's well-documented fitness issues, with the former Werder Bremen man still working his way back from a long-term knee issue which has kept him sidelined since last December.
As a result, the Blues boss should certainly have Sunderland defender, Dennis Cirkin, on his radar heading into the upcoming window, as the Dublin-born figure's days at the Stadium of Light certainly look numbered.
The 23-year-old was a mainstay in the Black Cats' side, which achieved promotion via the play-offs last term, creating 17 chances, winning 50 tackles and accumulating five goals and assists combined.
With Reinildo and Arthur Masuaku now in front of him in the North East as he recovers from a wrist issue, it could be seen as the perfect time for the two clubs to strike a deal, with Cirkin's contract expiring next June.
Furthermore, he will have seen the success which Sunderland loanee, Patrick Roberts, has enjoyed in B9 thus far, which could ease the negotiation process.
James Hill
James Hill of AFC Bournemouth
Another potential defensive incoming could come in the form of AFC Bournemouth figure, James Hill.
Despite the aforementioned spending prediction from AI, this would most likely be on a short-term loan, and would also likely hinge on a current loan deal potentially being cancelled, with the likes of Lewis Koumas still splitting opinion amid his development away from Liverpool.
In truth, Blues have certainly settled on a first-choice centre-back pairing of Christoph Klarer and Phil Neumann, but depth certainly remains a concern following Jack Robinson's dismal start to life in the Second City after moving from Sheffield United.
In four appearances for his new club, the ex-Liverpool man has received two red cards against Coventry City and Hull City, which has seen him labelled as a liability amongst supporters.
Whilst Davies isn't of the same opinion, having swept such misdemeanours aside, Hill could be looked at as a loan option. He previously impressed at Championship level with Blackburn Rovers in the first-half of the 2023/24 campaign, before continuing his progression as somewhat of a regular at the Vitality Stadium, which resulted in a long-term contract being signed in September.