Birmingham City have announced the permanent signing of Patrick Roberts from Sunderland.
The 28-year-old initially joined the Blues on a season-long loan deal in the summer.
Roberts joins Birmingham, who are minority-owned by American Football legend Tom Brady, on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
The Blues currently find themselves 13th in the Championship table, following promotion from League One last season.
Here, Transfer News Blitz writer Emily Clogg discusses the deal and why the Blues have decided to make the switch permanent.
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FROM TEMPORARY TO PERMANENT
Roberts joined Birmingham following a successful four-year spell at Sunderland.
He played a key role in getting the Black Cats promoted to both the Championship and the Premier League.
The winger bagged 10 goal contributions for Sunderland during their fairytale season last time out.
Roberts has had a good start to life at St Andrews Stadium, with three goals and four assists in all competitions so far.
BIG SPENDING AT BIRMINGHAM
Birmingham’s recent rise up the ranks can be partly attributed to the takeover by Knighthead Capital Management.
The American investment firm gained control of 45% of the club in 2023, before acquiring the full 100% late last year.
Tom Brady also became a minority owner at St Andrews in 2023 in partnership with Knighthead.
Since the takeover, Birmingham have spent lots of money in an attempt to shoot up the leagues.
Jay Stansfield joined the club in a huge £10m deal in 2024, smashing the League One transfer record in the process.
Stansfield’s been a big performer for the Blues, and they’ll be hoping Roberts can follow in his footsteps.
