A third division team with big ambitions

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The British and German media agree that Phil Neumann (27) will end up with Birmingham City, leader of the English third division. The controversial question now is: when? While there is already talk of a fixed winter transfer in England, the reports here are much more cautious. Hannover 96 is also booked.

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	P. Neumann
	Central defender
Hannover 96 70% City of Birmingham 2nd Bundesliga League 1

Sports director Marcus Mann confirmed to the “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” that he had not yet been contacted by anyone about a winter change. The 40-year-old asked Bild about Neumann: “I don’t know what he’s doing this summer. But all I can say about winter is that no one has contacted me yet.

The centre-back’s contract expires at the end of the season, so he is free to decide. Neumann and 96 were unable to agree on an extension in the fall. Things should now be different with Birmingham. As “HAZ” and “Sky” report, there is an agreement with the Blues for the coming season – but nothing more for now.

Hannover will certainly not sell the most successful player for a small fee; This doesn’t fit with the 96ers’ ambitious promotion goals. However, it is also unlikely that Birmingham will offer a transfer fee of around €4 million, as was the case last summer, so close to the end of the contract. At that time, Hannover had already let Bright Arrey-Mbi (21) move to Braga for 6.2 million euros, which is why the sale of another central defender was stopped.

Neumann has played every match of the season so far at full distance, only having to sit out on matchday 17 due to a yellow card. The right-handed player has more than tripled his market value to €3 million since arriving at Hannover. The 96 already has his successor designated in the ranks with Josh Knight (27), who arrived this summer from the English League One, and Kenneth Schmidt (22) was recently loaned by SC Freiburg to play in the center of defense.

Lucrative Neumann offer: Birmingham with big ambitions

But why is Neumann selected as a candidate for promotion to the German Lower House to join the 3rd English league? Birmingham currently lead the table two points ahead of Wycombe Wanderers and Wrexham, and manager Chris Davies’ side have also played fewer games. Club boss Tom Wagner has also not kept his big plans for the club, which last played in the Premier League in 2011, under wraps in recent months. “Our ambitions will amaze you,” he declared in the fall.

Birmingham have already outspent twelve Bundesliga clubs in the transfer market this summer. According to reports, Wagner wants to invest an additional three-figure sum in the team next season, which is the most valuable in League One with a squad value of almost €47 million. In the future, Neumann will receive more than double his salary of 96. There are also plans to build a new stadium with a capacity of up to 60,000 spectators for the second largest city in the United Kingdom.

Next to Neumann: Birmingham interested in Maloney

With Lennard Maloney (25), Birmingham has another German professional on its roster alongside Neumann. According to Sky, the defender wants to leave 1. FC Heidenheim this winter. In addition to the Blues, PAOK Thessaloniki and three anonymous Bundesliga clubs are said to be among those interested.

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	L. Maloney
	Defensive midfielder
1.FC Heidenheim 82% City of Birmingham Bundesliga League 1

Vice-captain Maloney fell behind at Heidenheim at the end of the year. Coach Frank Schmidt did not consider him in the last two games and criticized the lack of concentration on sporting tasks. It’s « definitely not » a question of whether Maloney will extend his expiring contract. “But in the general context, the situation regarding the course of events this winter plays a big role,” admitted the Heidenheim coach.

Christoph Klarer (24), German central defender, had already left SV Darmstadt 98 for Birmingham this summer for a fee of 4.15 million euros – one of the three most expensive transfers in League history One. “We need not deceive ourselves. We are clearly the big favorites and to finish below first or second place would be a big defeat and a big disappointment,” said the Austrian in the (Site notre blog d’information) interview. “But I am absolutely convinced that we will live up to our role as favorites and ultimately be in the lead.”