Birmingham City have struck transfer gold with their very own Rolls-Royce star

Because of the scope of Birmingham City’s transfer activity, some new additions were bound to go under the radar.

The Blues’ ownership group, led by Tom Wagner, went on a spending frenzy unprecedented in League One, which is unlikely to be repeated.

The third-tier club paid over £15 million for Jay Stansfield, making him a headline-grabbing signing.

Despite the high cost, Stansfield appears to be a wise investment. Birmingham also made a wise signing in Christoph Klarer, who has established himself as a quality centre-back.

Christoph Klarer enjoys brilliant start with Birmingham City

The thought of a League One club signing a 24-year-old who played 30 times in the Bundesliga last season appears ridiculous, but that’s exactly what the Blues did when they recruited Klarer from Darmstadt, who had been relegated in the 23/24 season.

The Blues’ £3.5 million signing of Klarer did not receive the same level of attention as other recent moves.

Birmingham fans quickly realised they had a superb defender with the huge Austrian settling in.

Klarer, at 6ft 3, was always going to have the physicality to handle English football, but it’s astonishing how fast he’s adjusted to the rough and tumble of League One.

Many clubs use different tactical techniques than he was used to in Germany, but Klarer has dominated strikers at this level thus far. He is completely capable of doing fundamental defence skills such as heading and clearing.

Klarer’s all-around game, however, has contributed to his outstanding start at St. Andrews.

Christoph Klarer is suited to Chris Davies’ approach

Chris Davies is promoting a unique style of play with Blues, which can be challenging for center-backs.

Klarer’s 89.3% pass success percentage demonstrates his ability to maintain possession, which is crucial for the setup.

The combination, along with captain Krystian Bielik, are crucial in launching attacks because they get the ball swiftly into players higher up the pitch, frequently with quality.

The new manager expects Blues to maintain a high line and press hard to regain possession in the final third.

While Klarer isn’t the fastest central defence, his lack of speed hasn’t been an issue because his excellent positional play and ability to read the game keep him from getting caught out.

Christoph Klarer can be a key part of this Birmingham City journey

Despite being only eight games into the season, Birmingham fans are already anticipating the future.

Wagner teases that the club’s objectives will ‘blow your mind’, aiming for more than just promotion to the Championship and Premier League.

As a result, players will come and go as the Blues search for the best to achieve their goals – but Klarer’s form suggests he might be a key figure for a long time.

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