Croatian international Ivan Sunjic joined the club in 2019 and sees his Birmingham City contract expire this summer
It’s safe to assume that fans had high expectations when Croatian international midfielder Ivan Sunjic joined Birmingham City in the summer of 2019.
Despite having just received one cap for Croatia, Sunjic was obviously a very excellent potential to play for them as this was a team that had advanced to the World Cup final the year before.
The midfielder was obviously well-liked in his native country—he captained Croatia’s under-21 team during the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championships—so when the Blues announced his signing, it seemed like quite the coup.
They paid a club record £6.3 million to sign him from Croatian powerhouse Dinamo Zagreb, and it appeared to be a serious declaration of purpose on Pep Clotet’s part.
That hasn’t exactly worked out, though, and after almost five years, Sunjic appears certain to depart St Andrew’s this summer when his contract expires.
Ivan Sunjic’s time at Birmingham City
Ivan Sunjic is undoubtedly a gifted player, but it has been challenging for him to perform to his full potential at St Andrew’s.
To be fair, he hasn’t helped himself by playing for a subpar team that has consistently finished lower in the Championship standings since he came in the summer of 2019.
After a generally successful first season at St Andrew’s, Sunjic made 41 appearances and scored three goals in his first season. It was anticipated that the young player would excel in the ensuing seasons.
But the next season, Sunjic only contributed one goal while playing 45 games. The next season was much the same, and although though he made 44 appearances for the Blues, he wasn’t exactly the world’s most exciting player.
Sunjic’s tenure at Birmingham City is best described as solid but unspectacular.
Jota and Míchel, two Spanish footballers that Birmingham City spent a combined £9 million on, were both a bust at St Andrew’s.
He hasn’t exactly been the team’s worst player in recent seasons, but he hasn’t exactly been all that great either, save from the occasional flash of elegance.
He appeared to have finished his stint at St Andrew’s when he was loaned to the relegated Hertha Berlin of the Bundesliga in the 2022–2023 season, but he has since rejoined the first team.
This season, he has made 35 appearances for Birmingham; in February, he even donned the captain’s armband for the team’s matches against West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday.
It’s unclear what Sunjic’s future at St Andrew’s holds since his contract is set to end this summer, but considering the amount they paid for him in 2019, it’s safe to assume that if he left, he would be a huge bust.
Ivan Sunjic won’t want to play League One football with Birmingham City
Birmingham City is still in risk of dropping to League One even after their recent, crucial victory over Preston.
Any hope of keeping Sunjic will undoubtedly vanish if they are relegated; as a Croatian international, he will likely believe that League One is beneath him.
If Sunjic is demoted, the club believes they will not be able to pay his wages because, according to Capology, he is now making an estimated £17,500 per week.
| Birmingham City’s highest earners (Estimated) – Capology | |
|---|---|
| Player | Estimated Wage |
| Krystian Bielik | £20,000 |
| Oliver Burke | £18,000 |
| Juninho Bacuna | £17,885 |
| Ivan Sunjic | £17,500 |
| Neil Etheridge | £17,500 |
Sunjic will likely need a fresh start in the summer, and as his contract is about to expire, now would be the ideal time for him to depart.
Sunjic’s tenure with Birmingham City has been incredibly unsatisfactory overall.
Though he has shown flashes of his potential, he has most likely not performed well enough to warrant the club spending a record £6.3 million to acquire him.
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