Birmingham City, known for their summer spending, entered League One as a major player in a small market.
Chris Davies added 16 new players to his squad, including Jay Stansfield, who returned to St. Andrew’s for an eye-watering £20 million. Stansfield previously played in the Championship for the Blues on loan during their relegation struggles.
However, Birmingham’s penchant for spending money isn’t limited to this chapter in the club’s history; the West Midlands outfit was known to spend lavishly even when competing in the second division.
Sunjic’s transfer to Birmingham
In 2019, Ivan Sunjic joined Birmingham for a £6.3 million price, leaving his native Croatia for a new opportunity in England.
This move would eventually feel like a waste of money when Sunjic left five years later, with the ex-Dinamo Zagreb man displaying hints of his class in patches but always held back by playing in a Birmingham team that was continually on the verge of relegation to League One.
During his 173-game career with St. Andrew’s, Sunjic saw nine head coaches come and go, while also scoring seven goals and assisting six times.
Stansfield, a former Fulham player, has now scored three goals since his return to the Blues, justifying his exorbitant fee.
Sunjic’s career at Birmingham ended with a free transfer to Cypriot team Paphos.
Davies’ men were most certainly relieved to have Sunjic off their books as they began their massive squad revamp in the hectic transfer season, with the one-time Croatia senior international still worth significantly less than his previous high price, despite settling in nicely in his new surroundings so far.
Sunjic’s transfer value in 2024
The statement Blues buy has seen his value collapse to £674k playing out in Cyprus, according to Football Transfers.
That’s a far cry from the £6.3 million Birmingham spent on the midfielder in 2019, and the third-tier giants are now regretting their decision to spend so much money.
| Sunjic’s falling transfer value over the years | |
|---|---|
| Date | Value |
| October 2024 | £670k |
| August 2024 | £0 |
| October 2023 | £2m |
| February 2023 | £5m |
| July 2019 | £6m |
| Sourced by Football Transfers | |
Across the length of his Birmingham stint, Sunjic watched his value decline more and more, with the 27-year-old worth just £1.6m last October, before moving on for nothing lately.
Davies’ men will be disappointed that they were unable to obtain a fee for Sunjic when he left the building, but the absence of their former midfield dud has had no effect on the squad now, with Tomoki Iwata and Paik Seung-Ho forming a formidable partnership in central midfield for the promotion chasers so far this season.
Seung-Ho has been called up to the South Korean national squad, with the Blues aiming for an immediate return to the Championship.
At the moment, Birmingham’s excessive expenditure appears to be justified, as opposed to squandering the cash on players like Sunjic, who have already been forgotten at St. Andrew’s quarters.
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