Despite suffering relegation to League One last term, Birmingham City clearly have no intentions of letting their new division limit their transfer activity as they eye moves for established Championship talents.
Blues braced for big summer window
If any of the St Andrews faithful feared that Birmingham's relegation would lead to a quiet summer, the Blues' early business would have quickly sought to put any worries to bed.
After May: Birmingham could boost promotion bid by signing 6ft3 "warrior"
Birmingham City will aim to take League One by storm with another ambitious addition.
ByKelan Sarson
A goalkeeper was clearly high on the wishlist of new Blues boss Chris Davies with shot-stopping duo Ryan Allsop and Bailey Peacock-Farrell both moving to the West Midlands in the early passages of the window. With two established Championship keepers on the books at Birmingham, the club have now been able to move on to other targets.
The next star through the door at St Andrews was Emil Hansson, who joined the Blues in a move from Dutch outfit Heracles Almelo. At 26 years of age, the winger will be looking to make an instant impact in League One next season.
The signing that will likely elicit the most excitement from the Blues' fanbase is that of Alfie May. The 31-year-old arrives at St Andrews off the back of a season with Charlton that saw him score 27 goals in all competitions and finish as League One's top scorer.
With the Blues not afraid of going shopping in the second tier, the club are now eyeing a move for a midfielder from a Championship side.
Blues register interest in Stoke City star
As first reported by Birmingham Live, the Blues have shown an interest in signing Stoke City midfielder Josh Laurent. The outlet claims that Stoke may be willing to part ways with their captain this summer with Laurent entering the final 12 months of his current deal at the club.
The report states that Birmingham are in the market for a new midfielder this summer and view Laurent as an experienced option. With 282 EFL appearances under his belt, there is no doubt that the 29-year-old could be an excellent addition to Davies' team.
Laurent made 40 appearances for the Potters in all competitions last season, contributing three goals and three assists in the process. During this time, the midfielder stood out as a strong presence in the middle of the park with former Stoke boss Alex Neil hailing him as "a great balance of knowledge and experience".
Shots total
1.50
81st
Progressive carries
1.70
75th
Touches
2.54
90th
Progressive passes received
3.98
84th
Aerials won
1.57
81st
Despite Stoke potentially willing to let Laurent leave for a cut-rate price owing to his contract situation, the Blues would still likely have to match his wages, which currently stand at a reported £15,000 per week.
Regardless of how much the deal would cost, there is no doubt that bringing Laurent to St Andrews this summer could be an excellent bit of business from Birmingham as they look to make an instant return to the Championship.