Liverpool and Swansea courting Championship star
Published:Birmingham’s worsening financial situation has forced them to instruct a number of first team stars to find new clubs as soon as possible and this has, inevitably, brought prized asset Nathan Redmond under the spotlight of many Premier League sides.
At just 18 years of age, Redmond has established himself as one of the most exciting players in the Championship and this has prompted Swansea to prepare a bid in the hope of beating many of their rivals to the punch.
He has made 27 appearances for the Blues so far this term and his performances have proved to be one of the few positives Lee Clark’s side can take from this campaign.
With the club desperate to offload, it’s only Redmond and fellow highly-rated young gun Jack Butland who would command the sort of money they require to stave off the bailiffs so his exit is all but guaranteed, if not in January then in the summer.
His pace and guile on either flank perfectly suit him to the Swansea system where first Nathan Dyer, then Wayne Routledge have prospered in recent seasons.
The figures Blackpool are quoting for the sale of Tom Ince – a player almost identical to Redmond in style and fearless approach to attacking full backs – are likely to be two, even three, times that what would be required to snap Redmond up and, should the south Wales outfit make the move, they could pull off one of the deals of the season.
The fiscal factor is what could turn Liverpool’s attention to the Birmingham prodigy.
They’re known to be chasing Ince – a former product of their own academy – but are unwilling to shell out £10m on a player they let go for nothing two years ago.
Knowing they could snap Redmond up at a fraction of the price could well divert Brendan Rodgers’ attention to St Andrews.
He’s proved time and again that he isn’t afraid to throw hot prospects in at the deep end that is and, given the saving the club could make, it’s likely the Reds will rival Swansea in the race to sign this much-coveted winger to assist in their belated push for a top-four finish, which they’re currently 9/1 to achieve.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
