Birmingham City will be looking to enter League One next season with the aim of exiting the division again in a very swift manner, potentially lifting the third-tier title during their fleeting visit.
Of course, the Blues cannot get carried away and think the lowly division will be a breeze to get out of, with question marks over Chris Davies' suitability for the job post, considering this will be his first time in the main manager's hot-seat, having previously been assistant to Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.
Yet, if Birmingham can pull off a number of new signings – including getting a deal over the line for a former title-winner at the level – they should put themselves in good stead to instantly return to the Championship.
Birmingham eyeing up new defender
According to a report from Football Insider, the relegated Blues will begin to put the pieces together to build a promotion-worthy squad, by targeting Plymouth Argyle man Dan Scarr.
The Argyle defender joining the ranks at St. Andrew's would see the League One giants sign yet another defensive reinforcement, after recently swooping in to sign former Hull City goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.
Football Insider reveals further in its report that Davies' men are in talks already with a deal for Scarr, who would also bring great experience to the Blues camp, with a promotion present on his CV up from League One when playing for the Pilgrims, as his efforts were paramount in that success.
This would also be an appetising move for the 29-year-old considering he is from Bromsgrove, which is a stone's throw away from St. Andrew's, and the fact Scarr has previously had a spell with the Blues back in 2017, with unfinished business on his end.
Alongside that, the potential transfer would also be music to Dion Sanderson's ears, who could form a daunting duo with Scarr at the back in the drop-down a division.
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ByKelan Sarson What Scarr could offer Birmingham
During that memorable 2022/23 League One campaign, which saw the Devon club crowned as third-tier champions, the 6 foot 2 centre-back was a brick wall for his team when needed, making 32 appearances.
From those appearances, the Argyle number six managed to collect a respectable 12 clean sheets, with a heroic 5.7 duels won on average per game, to play his part in the Pilgrims holding the League One title proudly aloft.
Games played
32
37
Goals scored
2
1
Assists
0
0
Touches*
59.8
46.3
Accurate passes*
34.9 (73%)
30.7 (85%)
Interceptions*
1.6
1.4
Tackles*
0.9
1.0
Clearances*
4.7
3.3
Duels won*
5.7
3.4
Clean sheets
12
10
Scarr could get even more out of his potential new defensive partner in Sanderson when moving back down to League One, therefore, with his 6 foot 2 counterpart not a million miles off Scarr's glowing numbers from his promotion campaign, despite just experiencing the gutting blow of relegation.
Sanderson will also have a point to prove in wanting to jump straight back up, having shone with Sunderland in the third tier during the 2020/21 season, with eight clean sheets accumulated from 26 contests, before staying put in the second-tier with a number of different loan clubs, before making Birmingham his fixed location.
Labelled as the sort of defender who "heads everything" by his ex-Plymouth boss in Steven Schumacher, Scarr will endear himself instantly to his new fanbase if he puts in similar resolute displays on the way to another promotion being added to his career resume, as Birmingham become a big fish in a small pond very soon in the third-tier.
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