Following a rollercoaster of a season in the Championship, Birmingham City's preparations for the summer were altered yesterday by the sudden departure of Chief Executive Officer Xuandong Ren.

As confirmed by the club's official website, Ren's four-year stint at St Andrew's was brought to an end after he resigned from his role.

During his time with Birmingham, Ren was a divisive figure due to his relationship with the club's owners as he ultimately failed in his goal to help his side reach the top-flight.

The Blues' financial mismanagement resulted in a points deduction in 2019 whilst a lack of stability in relation to the managerial position in recent years has seen the likes of Garry Monk, Pep Clotet and Aitor Karanka depart following relatively short stints in charge.

Making reference to Ren's decision to leave, Birmingham manager Lee Bowyer admitted that he hopes the club can now move on by creating a clear plan for the future.

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail about the shock development, the Blues boss said: "I was not aware that discussions were going on behind the scenes regarding Dong or any other member of staff.

"That's a decision they have made and us as a football club, we have to move on.

"I will now try and sit in front of the people upstairs and see what the plan is going forward for the football club because the most important thing is we get things right and all move forward."

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Bowyer later added: "Dong going now I don't know who I should go to.

"To be honest since I have walked through the door I have not had much contact with anybody.

"I have just concentrated on the football side and just got on with my job.

"I am quite laid back like that, I am here to do a job and I concentrate on that."

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

Whilst Birmingham supporters may have rejoiced at the news that Ren's tenure has finally come to an end, the fact that Bowyer was not made aware of what was going on behind the scenes is relatively concerning.

Despite doing a fantastic job to keep the Blues in the Championship last season, the 44-year-old will need some guidance from the club's hierarchy in order to draft out plans for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Therefore, it is imperative that Birmingham appoint a new CEO who knows what it takes to achieve success at this level as a failure to do so could lead to more uncertainty at St Andrew's.

By bringing in an individual who Bowyer can trust, there is no reason why the Blues cannot push on in the second-tier next season.