Birmingham City owner Tom Wagner is desperate for the club to achieve successive promotions from League One to the Premier League next season.
Buoyed by their record-breaking season in League One, Birmingham City have made clear that their ambition is to achieve promotion to the Premier League.
The Blues arrive back in the Championship having dominated the third tier last season, seeing Chris Davies’ side finish an outstanding 111-point tally, and have cemented themselves as early contenders for promotion in 25/26 predictions.
Under owners Tom Wagner and Tom Brady, Birmingham are planning an “aggressive” transfer window in the hopes of blowing the Championship out of the water, and have recently been linked with a move for Crystal Palace’s Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
Given the quality already in the second tier, and with the promotion of fellow Hollywood-back outfit Wrexham, adding to that the relegated trio, next season’s task will be a difficult one as the Blues look to end their lengthy absence from the top flight.
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Last time Birmingham City were in the Premier League
Wagner wants to win promotion to the Premier League in 2025/26, and they have already been busy in the transfer window to aid Davies’ attempt at successive promotions.
EFL Analysis revealed that Birmingham had agreed a deal to sign James Beadle from Brighton, who is poised to become the Blues’ new number one for next season.
Attracting one of the most highly-rated young goalkeepers in the top flight is a significant statement of intent from the Birmingham hierarchy, and as the summer transfer window ramps up, more signings of a similar ilk will need to be made to end the Blues’ 14-year absence from the top flight.
The last time Birmingham were a Premier League football club was in the 2010/11 season, in which they finished 18th under Alex McLeish, just one point adrift from safety.
Birmingham City in 2010/11 Premier League
Wins – 8
Draws – 15
Losses – 15
Points – 39
League position – 18th
Birmingham City’s record in the club’s most recent season in the top flight
Relegation condemned Birmingham to a 14-year stint in the Championship, before the Blues were relegated to League One in May, for the first time in 29 years.
Birmingham are on the up again, and have their sights set firmly on promotion to the Premier League, with their current squad vastly different from their most recent top flight starting XI.
Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Birmingham City’s last starting XI compared to most recent Premier League starting XI
14 years have passed since Birmingham were a Premier League outfit, and that absence will extend to at least 15 in the second period of next season, and Wagner will be hoping the 15-year mark is where it ends.
In May 2011, Birmingham were beaten 2-1 at Spurs to confirm their relegation from the Premier League.
This season, the Blues won 2-1 at Cambridge United, to end their record-breaking season with three points.
The biggest difference in the starting XIs is that of Birmingham City’s most expensive signing ever, Jay Stansfield, who arrived last summer from Fulham, for an initial reported fee of £15 million, which smashed the League One transfer record.
Birmingham starting XI vs Spurs (May 22, 2011) Birmingham starting XI vs Cambridge (May 3, 2025)
Ben Foster Ryan Allsop
Stephen Carr Ethan Laird
Roger Johnson Christoph Klarer
Liam Ridgewell Grant Hanley
Curtis Davies Lee Myung-jae
Seb Larsson Marc Leonard
Craig Gardner Paik Seung-Ho
Jean Beasusejour Willum Þór Willumsson
Barry Ferguson Luke Harris
Keith Fahey Taylor Gardner-Hickman
Cameron Jerome Jay Stansfield
Last Birmingham Premier League XI compared to last starting XI in 24/25 League One
Cameron Jerome scored three goals in 34 Premier League appearances in the 2010/11 season, whereas this season, Stansfield found the net 19 times in 37 League One games.
Admittedly, the quality difference between the top flight and third tier is monumental, but the Blues supporters will have faith that 22-year-old Stansfield can fire Birmingham back to the Premier League next season and end their 14-year absence.