Talks on after Birmingham City offered chance to sign £1.7m ace ‘similar to Luka Modric’

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Birmingham City have made more frequent and more ambitious moves than most clubs in the Championship this summer but head coach Chris Davies is not done just yet.

With Lee Buchanan missing the start of the season and Alex Cochrane short of competition for the time being, Chris Davies wants a new left-back at Birmingham before the window closes at the start of September.

In contrast, the central midfield area looks fairly stocked these days at St Andrews. Especially with Kanya Fujimoto joining compatriots Tomoki Iwata and Kyogo Furuhashi, and after Wolves loanee Tommy Doyle rejected Premier League offers in favour of ambitious, deep-pocketed Birmingham City.

EFL Analysis can confirm though, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that Birmingham were offered Colombian starlet Elan Ricardo following his sluggish start to life at Turkish giants Besiktas.

Despite boasting a treasure trove of midfield talent, a deal for Ricardo has not been ruled out at this stage. It is understood that the Blues are weighing up whether or not to grab the opportunity presented to them.

In any case, a decision may need to be taken quickly with Brazilian giants Sao Paulo opening talks.

Sao Paulo in talks after Birmingham City were handed Elan Ricardo chance by Besiktas

Still only 21 years of age, Elan Ricardo joined Besiktas in February from CD La Equidad in his native Colombia.

The youngster is yet to make his Turkish Super Lig debut under former Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however, and could now leave Istanbul without ever featuring in that black and white kit.

Brazilian reporter Jorge Nicola claims that Sao Paulo have started – and are trying to accelerate – negotiations with Besiktas.

Sao Paulo have moved quickly to snatch Elan Ricardo while the likes of Birmingham City weigh up the pros and cons. A return to South America, to the tune of £1.7 million, is reportedly a possibility.

Elan Ricardo likened to Croatia superstar Luka Modric

Versatile, over six feet tall and extremely technically-gifted, Elan Ricardo was paid the ultimate compliment by his former CD La Equidad coach Alexis Garcia recently.

There are shades of Real Madrid icon and Ballon D’Or winner Luka Modric, Garcia feels, in the way Ricardo sprays the ball around the pitch.

“He is strong, and his long-range and mid-range shots are particularly noteworthy,” Garcia says of a man who scored seven goals in 21 Colombian top-flight appearances. “He stands out in his position as a central midfielder but can also play effectively in more advanced roles on the left or right.

“Ricardo is more powerful and has a stronger shot, but his ability to distribute passes with confidence is similar to Modric’s. His future is very promising.”

Considering that Chris Davies is expected to retain Birmingham’s patient, possession-heavy approach in the Championship, Elan Ricardo’s quality on the ball would potentially have made him a pretty neat fit.

Chris Davies confirms left-back plan as Birmingham land Eiran Cashin

Eiran Cashin joined Birmingham on loan from Brighton last week; the club’s seventh and most-recent first-team acquisition of the window.

Davies does not rule out fellow left-footer Ben Davies returning to St Andrews and competing with Cashin after a terrific temporary stint in 2024/25, though, even if an orthodox left-back remains the current priority.

“Lee [Buchanan] is a good few months away,” Davies explains. “We do need another left-back.”

“[I will not rule out Ben Davies but] at the moment, we have got four centre-backs which is what we want. If nothing changes then we are where we are but you just don’t know how things are going to develop in the next few weeks.

“[Cashin] could [play at left-back]. I haven’t put him as an option there. I think that would be pretty much a last resort because he hasn’t done a load of it. He’s a centre-back. Although he’s maybe just under six feet, I think he jumps higher than anyone in our squad which is why he wins all his headers or a lot of them.

“You can read a bit into his height but he will always compete well in the air. He’s strong on the ball and has a good left foot.

“What I want from the centre-backs is that they defend first and are strong physically.”