After experiencing somewhat of a renaissance under the guidance of Lee Bowyer during the closing stages of the 2020/21 campaign, it will be intriguing to see how Birmingham City will fare in what will be their manager's first full season in charge of the club.
The 44-year-old has already opted to make some alterations to his squad by releasing a host of senior players last month whilst they announced the permanent signing of Ryan Woods yesterday.
Although the Blues are no longer under a transfer embargo, it would be somewhat of a shock if they decide to spend a considerable amount of money between now and August in the current financial climate.
Therefore, Birmingham may need to turn their attention to the free-agent market for inspiration.
One of the individuals who has recently been linked with a move to St Andrew's is winger Jordan Graham who is set to leave Gillingham at the end of the June when his contract expires.
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A report from the Birmingham Mail earlier this week suggested that the Blues were still interested in the 26-year-old after initially adding him to a short-list of potential targets in April.
One of Gillingham's stand-out performers last season, Graham helped his side clinch a 10th place finish in League One by providing 18 direct goal contributions in 39 appearances.
In a fresh update concerning Birmingham's pursuit of the winger, it has now been revealed that the club are edging closer to sealing a move.
According to London News Online, the Blues are set to beat Charlton Athletic in the race to secure Graham's signature.
Whilst the Addicks did hold talks with the winger, they will now switch their focus to drafting in other targets.
GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...
Providing that Birmingham can seal a deal for Graham in the coming days, this could prove to be a fantastic bit of business by Bowyer who previously tried to sign the winger during his spell in charge of Charlton.
As well as netting 13 goals in all competitions for Gillingham last season, the winger recorded the fourth-highest average WhoScored match rating (7.05) at the club.
Whereas it may take Graham some time to adapt to life in the Championship due to the fact that he has only played 23 games at this level during his career, he could potentially end up thriving under the guidance of Bowyer.
If Birmingham can back this signing up by securing the services of some more fresh faces, there is no reason why they cannot make a positive start to the upcoming campaign.
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