Carlton Palmer urges Birmingham City to seal £500k Callum Styles transfer

Highlights

• Birmingham City looking to sign Barnsley's Callum Styles for £500k as part of squad overhaul for Championship return.
• Styles has Championship experience and could be a valuable asset to Birmingham if they manage to secure his signature.
• Styles' versatility in midfield and defense makes him an attractive target for Birmingham, who are revamping their squad for next season.

Carlton Palmer has warned Birmingham City they may face "serious competition" for out-of-favour Barnsley man Callum Styles and questioned the Tykes' decision to let him leave.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Styles is on Blues' radar as they look to get out of League One with some ambitious transfer dealings under new boss Chris Davies in their first campaign in the third tier since 1994/1995.

The Hungarian international, who recently featured for his country at Euro 2024, will be allowed to leave South Yorkshire for a cut-price £500,000 fee, as per Nixon's report.

The 24-year-old looks set to end his six-year stay at Oakwell in the coming months after initially joining the club from Bury in 2018, with just one year left on his deal, meaning the Tykes are looking for a sale this summer before he is able to leave for free in January.

He departed on loan to Sunderland last season in search of regular second-tier football, but the Black Cats have decided against taking up the buy option in his deal this summer, leaving other clubs free to attempt to sign him.

Carlton Palmer reacts to Callum Styles, Birmingham City link

Former England international and current pundit Carlton Palmer spoke exclusively to Football League World about his shock at Barnsley's acceptance at letting Styles go for such a low amount, and how good a signing he could be for Birmingham if they were to bring him to St Andrews.

“He’s got a wealth of experience in the Championship, coupled with League One experience at Barnsley – he’d be an excellent signing for Davies’ side, but they are surely set to face serious competition for his signature," he said.

“We’ll have to wait and see, but I don’t think there is a way back for him at Barnsley.

“For whatever reason, they let him go out on loan in the second half of last season, and now they’ve put a price tag of £500k on him.

"Maybe it’s his salary, but I don’t know why (they are selling) because he is a very good player, and you would think with Barnsley having ambitions to get promoted that they would want to keep him in the building.

“It seems that Birmingham are very keen, and they’re building a really strong squad for next season to try to get back to the Championship at the first attempt.

“This would be a good move for them, with Callum able to operate in any position across the middle of the park.”

Styles would be a coup for Birmingham

Styles has previously shone in the Championship at Oakwell, not least in the 2020/21 season, as the Tykes finished fifth under Valerien Ismael, and he enjoyed the best season of his career to date.

The 24-year-old has racked up 136 appearances in the second-tier in his career so far, so would be a smart pick-up for a Championship club that needs depth in both midfield and defence, let alone a League One side that will aim to challenge for the title.

Styles remained at Oakwell for the first half of last season after an injury hit 2022/23 campaign on loan at Millwall, but made a temporary switch to Sunderland in January in search of regular football at a higher level, and in order to keep himself at a better level ahead of Euro 2024.

The 24-year-old was unable to find form with the Black Cats though, and the club decided not to take up the option-to-buy in his loan agreement at the end of the season, leaving him back at Barnsley and at a crossroads in his career this summer.

New Birmingham boss Chris Davies is set to need new additions to his midfield - Gary Gardner has left the club upon the expiry of his contract, while Alex Pritchard has joined Turkish Super Lig side Sivasspor and Juninho Bacuna looks set to follow him there, according to Birmingham Live.

Jordan James and Paik Seung-ho could both also realistically be on their way out of St Andrews this summer, so it is imperative that Davies gets bodies through the door before any more outgoings are permitted.

Styles would not only provide depth in midfield, but also at left-wing-back if they were to play a suited formation, or even as a left-back, where he would surely be comfortable playing in the third-tier.

If Blues are able to poach a player of Styles' pedigree, from a likely League One promotion rival, it would surely set them up for an impressive season and a possible immediate bounce back to the Championship.