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Dion Sanderson transfer would only be sanctioned by Birmingham City on one condition
It has come as a surprise to nobody within Birmingham City’s bubble that speculation around Dion Sanderson’s future has surfaced six weeks before the mid-season transfer window opens.
Sanderson has only played five games this season having been the club’s captain and defensive mainstay last term. So, what’s happened? After a pre-season which verged on redemption, the last three months have been packed with a red card, an injury and a mistake which for some might have been the final straw.
Let’s rewind to pre-season when Sanderson made his way out onto the field in Austria for the second half of Blues’ 5-0 humbling at the hands of SC Paderborn 07 without the captain’s armband. It was at this moment it became clear that Sanderson wouldn’t regain the captaincy having been stripped of it in April following his drink-driving charge.
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“Sometimes people don’t quite see the burden that it can be for younger players, he’s not an older player to be a captain of a club,” Chris Davies later explained. “From Dion’s point of view, that’s not on his radar now and I made that clear to him.”
Davies instructed Sanderson to get his head down and the 24-year-old did that. He impressed in the remainder of pre-season and his accurate diagonals out to the left-winger proved to be a tactical weapon for Blues.
But when the real stuff started Sanderson looked shaky in front of a sold-out St Andrew’s. With Christoph Klarer breathing down his neck, Sanderson could ill-afford slip ups.
He made two on his next outing at Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup, both of which resulted in yellow cards, and the initiative was handed to Klarer. The red card was followed by a foot injury to rule Sanderson out until mid-October.
In that time Ben Davies made himself first choice defensive deputy and Sanderson is facing up to being fourth pick. It would be a surprise if Sanderson continues to make squads now that Krystian Bielik is fit.
Sanderson didn’t help his cause by playing his part in Northampton’s equaliser in stoppage time last time out. A late substitute in place of Bielik, Sanderson simply had to head the Northampton goalkeeper’s long punt forward in the 97th minute. He didn’t, instead he made a meal of it, and the ball bounced off him and into the danger-zone. Within a few seconds Mitch Pinnock nestled a shot into the bottom corner.
Sometimes a fresh start is required and Sanderson won’t be short of takers, particularly if Blues make the price appealing. The £2m Blues paid Wolverhampton Wanderers 18 months ago will be hard to recoup. A successful loan would give Blues a better chance of recouping that money.
Either way, they would need to replace him. Davies wants two players for every position and he isn’t likely to change that stance at the business end of the season. Blues’ decision makers have to weigh up how easily a replacement could be signed and whether it would weaken their hand, because you can bet your bottom dollar that Davies won’t allow that to happen.
