Birmingham City starts pre‑season, targets Ivorian midfielder Amane

Coach Chris Davies welcomed 24 first‑team players back to Birmingham City’s training base on 30 June, launching a six‑week pre‑season programme that begins with a week at Henley‑in‑Arden before a six‑day camp in the Algarve. The Blues will open the campaign with a friendly against Huddersfield Town in Albufeira and have a Carabao Cup tie with Swansea City scheduled for early August. Several squad members were noted, including South Korea World Cup participant Paik Seung‑ho, striker Marvin Ducksch despite recent exit rumours, and loanees Taylor Gardner‑Hickman, Marc Leonard and Scott Wright.

During the same period, Birmingham City have been linked with Ivorian midfielder Romeo Amane, currently at Rapid Wien. Reports name the 23‑year‑old as a target for the Championship side, with clubs such as Wrexham, Sheffield United and FC Copenhagen also interested. Amane, a former ASEC Mimosas and BK Häcken player, is praised for his game‑reading ability, technical skill and deep‑lying playmaking, attributes deemed suited to English football.