Birmingham City haven’t always enjoyed Championship life in recent memory, with the Blues last finishing inside the top half of the notoriously difficult division way back in 2016.

Since then, it’s always been a drab finish served up by Birmingham in the lower reaches of the EFL’s elite league, with their ongoing downward trajectory seeing a painful relegation finally occur at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Now, however, the sleeping giants seem to be back on the rise after clinching the League One title with ease, with the Tom Wagner-backed Blues ready to spend big again this summer to try and take the second tier by storm.

How Birmingham could sign their answer to Vardy

With Phil Neumann’s signature already wrapped up from Hannover 96 improving Birmingham at the back, the newly promoted side’s focus could now switch to enhancing their already potent attack.

Peterborough United sensation Kwame Poku has been linked with a move on a free transfer, which would more than boost the ambitious Championship club in this department, having registered 21 goal involvements this season.

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However, there’s one statement signing in the offing that could really take Chris Davies’ men to the next level.

Amazingly, reports at the back end of last month suggested that Davies and Co may well attempt to lure former striker Che Adams back to St. Andrew’s this summer, with the former Blues centre-forward currently enjoying life out in Italy with Serie A titans Torino.

But, the allure of coming back to the Championship and being the club’s top dog could be very tempting for the goal-hungry 28-year-old.

How Adams can be Birmingham's own Vardy

If a statement reunion does get over the line, Birmingham might be about to win their very own version of Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy.

Why? Well, in the words of the Daily Mail’s Mark Wilson, ‘Adams is Scotland’s answer to Jamie Vardy’, having traded non-league football for Premier League riches, like his former Fleetwood Town counterpart.

Obviously, Adams hasn't quite reached the dizzy heights of Vardy's glory days yet, with the Foxes legend managing to lift a Premier League title across the course of his 199-goal spell at the King Power Stadium.

But, in a similar fashion to the 26-time England international, the 28-year-old Adams has never looked back since being given his first opportunities to impress in the EFL.

Indeed, the former Ilkeston youngster first settled into life as a goalscoring menace in the Championship and beyond on the books of the Blues.

Premier League

144 goals

25 goals

Championship

38 goals

49 goals

League One

0 goals

11 goals

FA Cup

7 goals

3 goals

EFL Cup

8 goals

11 goals

Sourced by Transfermarkt

The table above really reinforces how much of a clinical finisher the Scotland international has been over the years, up and down the relentless divisions, with Adams amazingly boasting more career goals in the Championship than Vardy, even if he has had struggles in the Premier League.

Therefore, bringing the Torino attacker back to Birmingham next season could work wonders for Davies’ men, especially as they aim to consolidate themselves as a second-tier outfit again.

Much like Vardy too, it seems as if Adams is gradually just getting the better the more his varied career chugs along, with the 28-year-old actually firing home ten goals for Torino this season so far, which is one more strike than Vardy’s own total leading the line for Leicester.

Moreover, the last time he was regularly performing at Birmingham’s level, the “fantastic” striker – as he has been previously lauded by ex-boss Ralph Hassenhuttl – managed to fire home a blistering tally of 15 league strikes for Southampton.

Therefore, Davies will be hopeful that Adams can just pick up from where he last left off if he does seal a return.

Birmingham would really show they mean business back in the Championship by winning Adams’ signature, with second-tier defences no doubt scared stiff by the prospect of the 28-year-old causing chaos again.

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