Birmingham City: Chris Davies makes Paik Seung-ho transfer claim amid

Birmingham City manager Chris Davies expressed confidence that the club would retain midfielder Paik Seung-ho, despite speculation about his future during the summer transfer window.

Following Birmingham’s relegation from the Championship, it was a busy summer at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, with several players coming in and out as Davies overhauled his squad. The club’s ambitious board backed Davies in the transfer market, spending a reported £24 million, including a record-breaking £15 million fee for Fulham striker Jay Stansfield, which set a new transfer record for League One.

Player sales were inevitable after relegation, with key names such as Jordan James, Juninho Bacuna, Alex Pritchard, Koji Miyoshi, and Siriki Dembele leaving the club. However, Birmingham managed to hold on to some of their key players, with Paik being a notable example of someone who surprisingly remained despite the drop to the third tier.

Retaining Paik has proven to be a smart decision, as he has excelled in the early stages of the season, helping the Blues secure five consecutive league wins, which has lifted them to second place in the League One table.

League One table (as it stands 23rd September)
	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Wrexham	7	8	16
2	Birmingham City	6	7	16
3	Barnsley	7	2	13
4	Charlton Athletic	7	2	13
5	Huddersfield Town	6	5	12
6	Lincoln City	6	4	11
7	Stockport County	6	4	11
8	Mansfield Town	6	0	11

Chris Davies issues Paik Seung-ho transfer claim

Paik joined Birmingham from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in January and was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing Championship season, impressing in the second half of the campaign. The 27-year-old scored the decisive goal in Birmingham’s 1-0 win over Norwich City on the final day, though it wasn’t enough to prevent their relegation, sparking concerns among fans that he might leave during the summer.

Sunderland were rumored to be interested in Paik, with Blackburn Rovers, managed by former Birmingham boss John Eustace, also reportedly keen. However, Paik remained at St Andrew’s, despite journalist Mike McGrath revealing that Birmingham rejected bids for him on deadline day. McGrath also noted that Championship contenders Leeds United and Sheffield United were eyeing the midfielder during the transfer window.

Though Paik attracted widespread interest, Davies remained confident in the club’s ability to retain him. He expressed optimism about Paik’s future role, saying: “There was definitely interest, but I always believed he would be a key player for us this season and in the years ahead. He’s an excellent player with great character. In my mind, there was never a real danger of losing him. He’s performed exceptionally so far and needs to keep that level up,” Davies told *BirminghamLive*.