Birmingham City’s £1.7m transfer was ‘a risk’ as director explains bargain deal

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After all that pre-season optimism, and with high-profile summer signings Kyogo Furuhashi, Tommy Doyle and Marvin Ducksch yet to really prove their worth, Chris Davies finds himself with a few questions to answer at Birmingham City.

While EFL Analysis have been told by chief football correspondent Graeme Bailey that Chris Davies’ future at St Andrews is not under threat just yet, three successive defeats in league and cup means the ambitious Championship newcomers host Swansea City on Saturday under pressure to find some form again.

As Alan Sheehan’s Swans look to extend a four-match unbeaten run, Birmingham City have slipped to eleventh after a bright start.

Zan Vipotnik and Ronald head to St Andrews having netted four league goals apiece. Davies’ entire Blues squad, meanwhile, have only four goals between them.

Only Charlton Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United have netted fewer so far.

Concerns are growing over marquee signing Kyogo Furuhashi. Marvin Ducksch, another new face who was expected to take the second tier by storm, has only played 44 minutes of football himself, as Werder Bremen director Clemens Fritz speaks out on a summer sale which is starting to look more masterstroke than madness.

Clemens Fritz explains why Werder Bremen sold Marvin Ducksch to Birmingham City

The German Bundesliga was in a state of shock when Birmingham snapped up Marvin Ducksch for a fee of just £1.7 million in early August.

The ex-Werder Bremen talisman ranked higher than Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and co when it came to taking or creating shooting opportunities, mustering the most of any Bundesliga player since the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Like with former Celtic favourite Kyogo, meanwhile, the hope was that Ducksch would translate his highly-impressive record in one league to another. And, of course, he still might.

Chris Davies insists that the Germany international has made great progress in recovering from a calf injury which has limited his involvement so far this side of the Channel.

But after Werder Bremen cruised to their biggest away win since 2020 last weekend – a 4-0 crushing of Borussia Monchengladbach – Fritz certainly believes the decision to let such an influential forward leave for a cut-price fee of two million euros was the right one.

“With Marvin, it was like this. His contract was due to expire in 2026, and he’s an older player,” Fritz tells Transfermarkt of the now-31-year-old attacker.

“We’re talking about a striker who has done a very good job here over the past four years. At some point, you reach the point where you ask yourself whether to extend his contract again, or make room for other players. And getting two million euros for a 31-year-old is certainly not a given.

“On the other hand, supply and demand determine the price. It was also Marvin’s wish to move. I think, overall, we found a good structure for everyone involved.

“Everyone should feel good about it in the end. We did, knowing full well that we were taking a certain risk when we sold him.”

Werder Bremen have bounced back impressively in the Bundesliga

Samuel Mbangula, an £8.5 million acquisition from Juventus, has taken up Ducksch’s mantle pretty effortlessly at the Weser Stadion. Werder also pulled off an almighty coup when bringing in Victor Boniface – prolific for Bayer Leverkusen during their title-winning 2003/24 campaign – on loan.

Davies, meanwhile, believes that the Birmingham City faithful will soon see the best from a man who ended last season with a combined 16 goals or assists in one of Europe’s top-five leagues.

Chris Davies backs Ducksch as Swansea City prepare for St Andrew’s trip

“From a fitness perspective, he’s in a good position now,” Davies said during his pre-Swansea press conference. “He’s shown glimpses of what he can do in the games that he’s played.

“He’s different because he’s a bigger presence, he links the game, he’s quite intelligent, and he’s got a goal in his locker as well. Hopefully we can start to utilise him more.”

Ducksch has made a good early impression in his two substitute appearances thus far.

“Marvin basically came injured and the main thing was we had to get that injury – a calf – right, then build his pre-season. In some senses he’s coming to the end of his pre-season. Others would do a six-week training block then they would have their first game of the season, whereas Marvin has probably only been training for four to five weeks.

“That’s why I’m trying to get him up to speed, trying to get him fit, so that he can make an impact. He has developed his minutes, so he is getting there.

“He’s a player that I really have high hopes for and that can make a good impact for us.”