EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists (outside the EU), club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images (+15 in extra time). No use to emulate moving images. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications/services. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ian Tuttle/BPI/Shutterstock (10494064bb) John Eustace assistant manager of QPR Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End, EFL Sky Bet Championship, Football, The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, London, UK - 07 Dec 2019
Latest Birmingham City news from BirminghamLive includes an update on top target Dion Sanderson
Dion Sanderson has reported for pre-season training with Wolverhampton Wanderers as Birmingham City fight to secure his permanent signing.
The 23-year-old defender has excelled at St Andrew’s in two separate loan spells and John Eustace would like to bring him back on a permanent basis. Negotiations have been ongoing with Wolves for a while, but Blues haven’t been able to make a telling breakthrough.
Blues have already signed Tyler Roberts, Koji Miyoshi, Krystian Bielik and Ethan Laird this summer. Wolves are understood to be demanding a fee which exceeds what Blues have initially paid for all of those signings.
Nevertheless, Blues are trying to make a deal work against a backdrop of Financial Fair Play issues. Sanderson has been training individually over the summer in order to keep himself fit, but he has now returned to Wolves’ Compton Park base for pre-season.
Wolves have allowed Conor Coady to join Leicester City, while fellow centre-back Nathan Collins is on the verge of signing for Brentford. Max Kilman, meanwhile, is the subject of interest from Italian champions Napoli.
Should Kilman depart, Wolves will be left with Craig Dawson and Toti Gomes as senior central defenders. That isn’t expected to change their stance on Sanderson, who will be allowed to leave once a club meets the asking price.
BirminghamLive understands Sanderson is keen to return to Blues and reunite with Eustace, whom he also worked under at Queens Park Rangers.
