Birmingham City have a big summer ahead of them as they look to assemble a squad pushing higher up the SkyBet Championship table.

Post-lockdown football was a sorry affair for the Blues who on form ranked 24th in the division. The Midlands club did not pick up a single victory in their last nine fixtures, drawing three times and losing six.

New head coach Aitor Karanka has arrived to steady the ship and pull the club away from its recent seasons and failures. The Spaniard penned a three-year contract last month following his 18-month hiatus from football when he walked away from Nottingham Forest.

Reporting back to the Trillion Trophy Training Centre (Wast Hills) this week, Karanka will have a good look at his current group of players and get an idea of where the squad needs to be strengthened. Below are some positions that Birmingham need to strengthen this window:

  • Goalkeeper

This must be a top priority for the Blues as a result of there currently being no senior goalkeepers at the club. Veteran shot-stopper Lee Camp departed the club after his contract expired, bringing an end to his two-year stay at St Andrews Trillion Trophy Stadium. Fellow 'keeper David Stockdale also left the club following the expiration of his contract.

Their other senior goalkeeper Connal Trueman has been sent out on loan to AFC Wimbledon for the upcoming season. Spaniard Karanka will be looking to add two goalkeepers into his squad as quickly as possible ahead of the Championship season commencing on 12 September.

  • Defence

Following Jake Clarke-Salter's return to parent club Chelsea, the Blues are left with captain Harlee Dean and Marc Roberts as the only centre-back options at the club.

Considering how poor Birmingham were defensively in their last nine games, Karanka will be looking to tighten up his back-line. The transfer market is currently moving very slowly as a result of COVID-19. Most clubs will be looking at bargains this summer window in a bid to cut costs due to the loss of revenue lockdown has had on the economy, not just in football. For the early part of the window, most movement will be loans and free transfers.

An ideal signing for Birmingham that fits the criteria would be Naby Sarr. The 27-year-old free agent is available following his departure from relegated Charlton Athletic.​​​​​​​ The defender has a quality that is seemingly rare to find in a centre-half, he is left footed. Sarr would be a smart addition to Karanka's squad and adds depth to a very thin squad.

  • Wing

Jeremie Bela serves as the clubs only winger following the departures of Jacques Maghoma and Kerim Mrabti. This will be of great concern for Karanka as his preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1. He likes to have two quick and capable wingers running the ball down the channels and creating chances. It would seem that Birmingham will need to add at least two to their squad to add some competition for Bela and to add some quality onto the bench which is filled by inexperienced youngsters.

  • Attack

Just like Bela, Lukas Jutkiewicz is the only forward on Birmingham's books. Scott Hogan's loan has ended and he has returned to rivals Aston Villa and ​​​​​​​Alvaro Gimenez has completed a permanent move to Cadiz CF following his loan spell and the Spaniard will be playing in La Liga Santander next season.

The club should be looking to add at least two striking options to the squad to offer competition to Jutkiewicz and also to strengthen the quality of the substitutes bench.

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