It has been a good past week for Birmingham fans, after finally having confirmation of their place in the Championship next season, looking to find their place back in the Premier League within the next few years. This came after their 2-1 win over Peterborough, who they also play at Wembley on Sunday.
This was expected by many however, as due to their recent takeover in July 2023, their budget was massively increased. This led to the purchase of Jay Stansfield, Birmingham’s star man this season with 18 goals in 31 games in League One this season with games still to play, for a huge £15 million fee, a record deal for a League One club.
As attention turns to building a Championship-Standard squad, which in some eyes, they aren’t far off already, Birmingham will be looking to add to their spending with some players already in the eyes of the Birmingham Bosses. One player rumoured to travel to the blues is Charlie Savage, who already has a wealth of experience in the Championship.
Charlie Savage
Charlie began his footballing adventure in the youth ranks of Manchester United, following in his dad’s footsteps. He signed his first professional contract with the red devils in April of 2021, he continued gaining experiences with the youth sides however. It took until December of 2021 for Charlie to first appear in the matchday squad for United, coming on to replace Juan Mata in the Champions League against Young Boys, even whilst his dad, Robbie Savage was co-commentating on the game. However, he didn’t appear in a Premier League matchday squad until May 2022, where he found himself in the squad for a league game with Crystal Palace.
The season after, Savage found himself on loan with Forest Green Rovers for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, gaining more first team experience, making 15 appearances during his time at the club. Savage found himself gaining Championship experience, when he signed for Reading on the 22nd of July 2023. He currently spends his time with Reading in League One, as they chase a play-off place.
However, he may have a fast-track move to the Championship if he moves to Birmingham. Charlie was a very exciting prospect during his time at united, and is very much a fan favourite with Reading. As most football fans know, Reading are in a very difficult financial situation due to current ongoing problems with their current owner, leaving them now under 3 weeks to find a new owner, or face expulsion from the EFL. As much as they don’t want to, it may be a strong possibility that Reading may have to let go of Savage to help fund any problems they have.
Savage is a very exciting player, with many attributes of his making it very easy for fans to be excited watching on. He plays in midfield primarily, due to his impressive technical ability, vision and passing ranges. His work rate is undeniable, being a player you can trust to run his socks off until the final whistle. Adding his already impressive stamina to his game, Birmingham fans should be very excited about the thought of having Savage included in their ranks.
However, there will be other opportunities for Savage that will arise, including Birmingham rivals Wrexham, who were one of the clubs pushing Birmingham to their limit in the league. Wrexham currently withhold an automatic promotion place in League one to the Championship, so they will also be looking to bolster their squad, and as many know, are not afraid of splashing the cash. It will be a good battle between Birmingham and Wrexham for Savage’s signature, and will be a story that will continue to develop in the coming weeks.
It will be a good story to follow, as a big factor could be whether Wrexham find themselves in the Championship or not next season. As always in football now, money will also be a huge factor, with both clubs not afraid of splashing a large sum of money on a player to secure them, which Reading fans won’t shy away from.
