I signed 17 players for Birmingham City but it didn’t take me long when I watched him
Chris Davies spent the summer watching potential recruits for Birmingham City – but he didn’t spend long analysing Christoph Klarer.
The Austrian centre-back has become a bedrock of a Blues side that has stormed its way to the top of the League One table. Blues have the best defensive record in the third tier and Klarer’s performances have been key to that statistic.
Klarer produced a typically dominant display at the Racecourse Ground on Thursday to ensure Blues avoided defeat to promotion rivals Wrexham. The 24-year-old won seven aerial balls and relished the physical battle with Wrexham forward Ollie Palmer.
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It was for these occasions that Davies insisted on Blues signing Klarer from German side Darmstadt 98 during the summer transfer window.
“I remember in the summer when I watched him play – and I signed 17 players so I was constantly watching players – it didn’t take me long when I watched him,” said Davies. “I saw a few balls come up and he headed them away, and he headed straight into the back of someone’s head and I thought that’s exactly the player that I want because he’s going to need to do that in League One.
“He’s a critical player for us but he can play as well. When the ball’s up in the air, he normally wins it.”
Like many of the players Blues acquired during the summer, Klarer was signed with the Championship in mind. With more than 100 games in Germany’s top two divisions under his belt, Klarer shouldn’t have trouble adapting to the Championship if Blues are promoted at the first attempt.
Davies added: “He’s played in the Bundesliga. He’s played at a good level. I’ve been really impressed with him, not just as a player but as a character. He’s a real leader and someone who is a really key player for us.”
