Podcasters Ben from ‘Blues Breakdown’ and Luke from ‘Blues Analytics’ have identified a centre-back that they believe Birmingham City should look to sign this summer during an episode of Bowyer’s Black Book.
The duo identified Oxford United centre-back Rob Atkinson as a potential target that the club should be looking at bringing in during the current transfer window.
Atkinson picked up a spot in the League One Team of the Season and appears to have caught the eye having scored against Blackpool in the League One play-off semi-final and Luke believes that the 22-year-old is ready to make the step up to play Championship football for Birmingham City next season.
He said: “Rob Atkinson at Oxford – great, great player. This is probably one of my favourite picks out of all the sort of defensive departments, really, even sort of looking at the very basics and the fact he’s only 22, 6ft 4, so he’s an absolute giant of a bloke. Just recently played in the League One play-off semi-finals for Oxford, I believe he scored in the semi-final as well.
“But he already looks like a player who’s played for years and years.
“He’s done well all season at the age of 22, in that long old slog of a League One season, and he’s made it into that team of the season.”
“I’d absolutely love to see him in the Blues defence for years to come.”
TIF Thoughts on Rob Atkinson to Birmingham City…
It may not be a huge surprise Atkinson has caught the eye during his debut season in the Football League. Atkinson received a WhoScored rating of 7.43/10 for his performances in the league this past campaign.
The 22-year-old was signed by Oxford United in January 2020 from Eastleigh but was loaned back out to the Spitfires until the end of the season. He became an important player for Oxford this season though, playing 41 games as they finished in the play-off places, before being defeated by Blackpool in the play-off semi-final.
Atkinson has been linked with a Championship move this summer – not to Bowyer’s Blues, but instead to Bristol City.
With his performances in League One this season, it will surely be only a matter of time before we see the young centre-back get a move to a Championship side. Though things are quiet in terms of links between Atkinson and Birmingham, will we see a summer swoop for the 22-year-old from Lee Bowyer’s side?