Birmingham City are having a hard time upgrading their squad without spending big this summer.
Playing behind closed doors for a year with no blues fans coming through the hubs regularly means free agents are likely to be in demand.
There are 160 by the end of their contracts in the Championship and another 82 in the Premier League, though some of them target big final pay days in the sun rather than cold and wet Tuesday evenings at St. Andrew’s.
Wages will be a key factor, of course, and the city’s budget will determine the market they’ll shop in this summer, provided the club maintains its second division status. Hence, a serious reality check needs to be done when considering the options available.
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So who are the top flight players near the end of their contracts and who should spark the imagination of new Birmingham boss Lee Bowyer?
goalkeeper
Christian Walton (25 years, Brighton)
Willy Caballero (39 Years, Chelsea)
Wayne Hennessey (34 years old, Crystal Palace)
Stephen Henderson (32 years old, Crystal Palace)
Fabri (33 years old, Fulham)
Eldin Jakupovic (36 years, Leicester)
Adrián (34 years old, Liverpool)
Sergio Romero (34 years old, Manchester Utd)
Lee Grant (38 years old, Manchester Utd)
Simon Moore (30 years old, Sheffield Utd)
Harry Lewis, 23 years old, Southampton
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On the subject of matching items
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On the subject of matching items
Andy Lonergan (37 years old, West Brom)
David Martin (35 years old, West Ham)
John Ruddy (34 Years, Wolves)
RIGHT BACK
Matthew Lowton, 31, Burnley
Phil Bardsley (35 years old, Burnley)
Nathaniel Clyne (29 years old, Crystal Palace)
Joel Ward (31 years old, Crystal Palace)
Martin Kelly (30 years old, Crystal Palace)
Gaetano Berardi (32 years, Leeds)
Lee Peltier (34 years old, West Brom)
LEFT BACK
Neil Taylor (32 years old, Aston Villa)
Erik Pieters (32 Years, Burnley)
Patrick van Aanholt (30 years, Crystal Palace)
Tyrick Mitchell (21 years old, Crystal Palace)
Ezgjan Alioski (29 years, Leeds)
Christian Fuchs (34 years, Leicester)
Ryan Bertrand (31 years old, Southampton)
Sam McQueen (26 years old, Southampton)
Danny Rose (30 years, Tottenham)
Kieran Gibbs (31 years old, West Brom)
Conor Townsend (28 years old, West Brom)
CENTER BACKS
David Luiz (33 years old, Arsenal)
Kevin Long (30 Years, Burnley)
Jimmy Dunne (23 years old, Burnley)
Richard Nartey (22 years old, Burnley)
Thiago Silva (36 years old, Chelsea)
Mamadou Sakho (31 years, Crystal Palace)
Gary Cahill (35 years old, Crystal Palace)
Scott Dann (34 years old, Crystal Palace)
Tim Ream (33 years old, Fulham)
Former Birmingham City defender Scott Dann (left) will be a free agent this summer
Wes Morgan (37 years old, Leicester)
Nathaniel Phillips (24 years, Liverpool)
Eric García (20 years, Manchester City)
Federico Fernández (32 years old, Newcastle Utd)
Kean Bryan (24 years old, Sheffield Utd)
Phil Jagielka (38 years old, Sheffield Utd)
Kyle Bartley (29 years old, West Brom)
Branislav Ivanovic (37 years, West Brom)
Fabián Balbuena (29 years old, West Ham)
Romain Saïss (30 years old, wolves)
DEFENDING CENTERS
Kevin McDonald (32 years old, Fulham)
Ouasim Bouy (27 years old, Leeds)
Fernandinho (35 years old, Manchester City)
Jack Rodwell (30 years old, Sheffield Utd)
CENTRAL MIDDLE FIELDS
James McCarthy (30 years old, Crystal Palace)
James McArthur (33 years old, Crystal Palace)
Georginio Wijnaldum (30 years, Liverpool)
John Lundstram (27 years old, Sheffield Utd)
Vitinha (21 years, wolves)
ATTACKING MIDDLE FIELDS
Juan Mata (32 years old, Manchester Utd)
Henri Saivet (30 years old, Newcastle Utd)
LEFT CENTER FIELDS / WINGS
Robbie Brady (29 Years, Burnley)
Jeffrey Schlupp (28 years old, Crystal Palace)
Kyle Edwards (23 Years, West Brom)
José Izquierdo (28 years old, Brighton)
Christian Atsu (29 years old, Newcastle Utd)
Kamil Grosicki (32 years, West Brom)
RIGHT CENTER FIELDS / WINGS
Jóhann Berg Gudmundsson (30 years, Burnley)
Andros Townsend (29 years old, Crystal Palace)
Jacob Murphy (26 years old, Newcastle Utd)
Striker
Joshua King (29 Years, Everton)
Danny Welbeck (30 years old, Brighton)
Olivier Giroud (34 years old, Chelsea)
Christian Benteke (30 years, Kristallpalast)
Connor Wickham (27 years old, Crystal Palace)
Sergio Agüero (32 years old, Manchester City)
Edinson Cavani (34 years old, Manchester Utd)
Dwight Gayle (31, Newcastle Utd)
Andy Carroll (32 years old, Newcastle Utd)
Hal Robson Canoe (31, West Brom)
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