Burnley
Blackburn Rovers
Coventry City
Derby County
Leeds United
Luton Town
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Norwich City
Portsmouth
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield United
QPR
Birmingham City are on a mission to reach the Premier League under their American ownership, which will see the Blues generate eye-watering sums of money in the process.
Birmingham City are heading into the Championship season propelled by their meteoric rise from League One.
Chris Davies’ side resoundingly won the third tier title on 111 points, and are contenders for instant promotion to the top flight in our early 2025/26 Championship predictions.
Birmingham owner Tom Wagner wants Premier League promotion immediately as Birmingham plan an “aggressive” transfer window this summer to help achieve that.
As seen in the Blues’ rise from League One, the club are not afraid to throw sizeable sums of money at that quest, but one football finance expert has queried Wagner’s expectations about the Blues’ record-breaking revenue.
- READ MORE: Wrexham must sign ‘exceptional’ top flight midfielder after Tommy Doyle’s snub for Birmingham City
Expert questions Tom Wagner’s Birmingham City revenue claims
Following the Blues’ historic League One triumph, owner Wagner targeted a Championship record after admitting that he believes Birmingham, co-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady, can compete with the biggest teams in the EFL when it comes to revenue.
Wagner told The Times: “If our revenue progresses as we expect into next season, which is basically a certainty, we will be the highest revenue-generating club in the Championship ever not receiving parachute payments, and we will be on a par with those receiving parachute payments.
“If we then progress one year further, and we’re fortunate enough to end up in the Premier League, we’ll be a mid-table club or better in total revenue, first year in.”
However, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has questioned Wagner’s claims. He told the Second tier Podcast: “Wagner’s comments are certainly bullish,
“I’m looking at my figures here, if they’re saying they’re going to make more money than Leeds United did a few years ago, when Leeds were challenging at the top of the Championship, then fair play to them.
“They must have some fantastic deals, I think they are trying to leverage off the Tom Brady factor.
“Now, how much of a brand he brings to Birmingham City is an unknown, but certainly the direction of travel for Blues is very positive.
“The record revenues, well, if they do that then fair play to them, but that means they’re going to be generating, at the thick end, of £60m.”
Despite Maguire’s assertion, the Blues’ summer transfer window is undoubtedly putting the club on course for a top-six finish next term.
Birmingham City have made stellar start to summer transfer window
Ahead of the club’s return to Championship status, the Blues hierarchy are clearly intent on backing the club commercially in the summer transfer window.
Birmingham are set to sign Tommy Doyle from Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers, and former Blues prospect Demarai Gray is re-signing for Birmingham after his lucrative stint in Saudi Arabia.
The Blues have also signed England Under-21 Euros winner James Beadle on loan from top flight Brighton, although Birmingham fans are divided on Beadle.
Both Birmingham and Wrexham want Joe Gelhardt on loan from Leeds, and the aforementioned summer dealings at St Andrews are certainly supporting Wagner’s aims for Premier League promotion.
Given that Birmingham were last in the top flight in 2011, Americans Wagner and Brady are proving they mean business in the window ahead of the 2025/26 second tier, in which the owners’ lofty expectations could become reality.