Birmingham City are a club who are finally heading in the right direction, with the current ownership group pushing to secure a return to the Premier League after a 15-year absence.
The Blues haven’t been in England’s top-flight since the 2010/11 campaign, with the club even dropping into the third tier of English football during such a period.
However, the investment from the hierarchy has allowed Chris Davies to build a squad that is capable of challenging for promotion from the Championship come the end of the season.
His side currently occupy 10th place with just 14 games remaining in 2025/26, with just one point separating them from a place in the division’s play-off places.
Despite the big money being spent at St Andrews over recent years, not all of their investments have been worthwhile, with one player struggling to hit the heights many anticipated.
The stats behind Kyogo’s struggles at Birmingham
After securing promotion from League One last season, Birmingham spent a pretty penny in the summer to try and make it back-to-back and push for a place in the Premier League.
Striker Kyogo Furuhashi arrived in the West Midlands for a reported £9m from Stade Rennes, but such a move has failed to ignite over the last few months.
The Japanese international was tipped to star alongside record-signing Jay Stansfield, but he’s been unable to get anywhere near the youngster’s tally of nine goals.
The 31-year-old has only netted once in his 26 league outings to date, subsequently being left on the substitutes bench in each of the last three outings.
Kyogo has been largely wasteful in the final third so far this campaign, with his 28% shot on target accuracy and 12 big chances missed showcasing why he’s struggled for the Blues.
He’s also massively underperformed compared to his xG in front of goal, with the striker expected to have scored at least four more goals compared to the chances he’s been presented with.
The huge fee has only increased expectations on his shoulders this campaign, but ultimately, the deal now looks like a huge waste of money, which could lead to a summer departure from St Andrews.
The former Birmingham star who’s now a huge upgrade on Kyogo
As previously mentioned, Birmingham are a club still firmly in the race to secure a play-off place this season, with their firepower in attacking areas likely to play a vital role.
The aforementioned Stansfield currently sits as the club’s top-scorer on nine goals, with the youngster still remaining as the main talisman despite Kyogo’s summer move.
Marvin Ducksch, another summer arrival, has managed to hit the ground running in the Championship, as seen by his own tally of seven goals this campaign.
The likes of Demarai Gray, Patrick Roberts and Seung-Ho Paik have also popped with key contributions in the final third, helping the side net 43 goals in the league to date.
However, their goal tally would certainly be even healthier at present had they kept hold of striker Che Adams, who departed way back in the summer of 2019.
The 29-year-old, who joined the club from Sheffield United, spent just shy of three years with the Blues, but managed to capture the hearts of the fanbase with his clinical showings.
His best goalscoring season for the club came in his final year in the West Midlands, as he netted 22 times in his 46 Championship appearances in 2018/19.
However, he would depart in a deal worth a reported £15m to join Southampton that summer, with the club subsequently losing one of their greatest goalscoring threats.
In the present day, Adams, who’s been dubbed “terrific” by Ally McCoist, currently plies his trade for Torino in Serie A and has once again caught the eye with his goalscoring record.
The Scottish international has netted six goals across all competitions for the Italian outfit, with such a record no doubt handing the Blues a boost in their hunt for promotion.
|
Che Adams – Serie A stats in 2025/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
|
Games played |
23 |
|
Goals scored |
4 |
|
Shot on target accuracy |
35% |
|
Shots on target |
0.9 |
|
Pass accuracy |
75% |
|
Chances created |
1.3 |
|
Aerials won |
43% |
|
Touches in 18-yard box |
4.3 |
However, the forward nearly completed a fairytale return to the West Midlands in the summer, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be, with the fans having to watch one as he thrives in Italy.
To make matters worse for the fanbase, he’s achieved a better shot on target rate, whilst missing fewer big chances – undoubtedly making him a better option than Kyogo.
Adams’ all-round dominance over the Japanese international is further reflected in his higher tally of aerials won and dribbles completed – which no doubt makes him a better all-round attacker.
Given the previous interest in re-signing the former Blues star, there’s no reason why interest can’t be reignited in the summer – regardless of what division Davies’ side find themselves in.
Such a move would undoubtedly bolster the club’s attacking department, whilst likely putting an end to Kyogo’s dreadful period as a first-team member in the West Midlands.
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