Birmingham City look set to crack on with their transfer plans after appointing Tony Mowbray, and one name might yet spring to mind for the ex-Sunderland boss.
Birmingham City gave themselves an uphill battle after sacking Wayne Rooney shortly after the turn of the year.
The club arguably gave themselves said battle when they first replaced John Eustace with Rooney. But now with Mowbray in place, Blues can kick on with their January transfer plans in this final two weeks of the window.
For Rooney, a key area that looked as though it was in need of bolstering was central midfield, and that remains the case for Mowbray.
Birmingham City crying out for a new defensive midfielder
All season long, Birmingham City have been in desperate need of some steel in the middle of the pitch.
Krystian Bielik provided that last time round but for whatever reason, his performance levels have dropped right off in recent months.
He started alongside Ivan Sunjic in the middle of the pitch in Mowbray’s opener vs Swansea City last weekend; a 2-2 draw at St Andrew’s.
But another two goals shipped in suggests that Blues still need some defensive bolstering, and the under-fire Bielik looks like an upgradeable player in the XI.
Mowbray should work Sunderland connections to bring in Jay Matete
Mowbray is a well-connected and well-liked name in the Football League.
And it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he looks to some of his former clubs for new signings this month, especially Sunderland where he did a good job.
The Black Cats look like they could sign a new defensive midfielder of their own this month and that could force a certain Jay Matete further down the pecking order.
The 22-year-old was sent out on loan to Plymouth Argyle for the second half of last season where he featured 19 times in League One, helping the club to promotion to the Championship; former Argyle boss Steve Schumacher described Matete as a player who can ‘make something happen’.
He’s been injured for the bulk of this season so far but has recently returned to the bench; though whether or not he features under new boss Michael Beale remains to be seen.
Matete boasts some of the same attributes as Bielik; he’s a good tackler and a good enforcer in the middle of the park, but he’s also much more mobile than Bielik which is maybe the Birmingham City man’s biggest criticism.
If Matete is available for loan then he’d be a shrewd signing for Birmingham City who are definitely lacking in the middle right now.
And for Matete, reuniting with Mowbray and playing Championship football could be just what he needs to get back on track.