Birmingham City are closing on a loan deal for defender Emmanuel Aiwu from Italian side Cremonese.
The 22-year old is finally having a medical after struggling to get into the UK owing to airport strikes across Europe.
Aiwu only joined Cremonese last summer from Rapid Vienna for £3million ($3.8m)
However, he has been attracted to Birmingham’s vision following the takeover by Tom Wagner and investment from his business partner former NFL superstar Tom Brady.
Seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady invested into the Championship club earlier this month. Neither the size of Brady’s stake nor the price he paid has been revealed publicly.
However, the retired quarterback is expected to have a hands-on role with the team, applying ‘his extensive leadership experience’ while advising ‘on health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery,’ according to a club statement.
Brady’s acquisition came shortly after American billionaire Wagner became the club’s chairman as part of his ongoing takeover of the club. The two became acquainted through their teenage sons, who are classmates at a New York City prep school, according to Bloomberg.
Brady appears to have already begun to ring in the changes at St. Andrew’s after the club’s fine list was leaked, featuring a £250 ($317) fine for failing to say good morning to reception staff.
The NFL legend paid a surprise visit to a local pub ahead of Birmingham City’s first home game against Leeds United, before heading to the stadium to watch his team win 1-0.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner notably spoke to the players in the dressing room before the game against Leeds and it appears his words may have helped them get the win.
After the match he claimed he was ‘humbled’ but the experience, saying: ‘From the moment we walked into The Roost, to the second the penalty hit the back of the net, your energy was humbling and a moment I won’t ever forget.
‘Thank you to all the supporters for welcoming us into this family with open arms.’ 
The Blues finished 17th in the Championship last year but are currently third and will be hoping to climb the leaderboard this season.
It’s been more than a decade since the Blues finished near the top of the EFL Championship, and the club grounds, the century-old St. Andrew’s, has faced a number of repairs in recent seasons.
Leave a Reply