Gary Rowett says Jutkiewicz’s Birmingham stay could be extended

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The striker has been in great form for the Blues since joining on loan from Burnley in the summer.

Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett has told the club’s official website that the Blues could look to extend striker Lukas Jutkiewicz’s current loan deal beyond January if he can sustain his impressive run of form at St.Andrew’s.

Birmingham beat off a host of competition from Championship clubs to sign Jutkiewicz on a six-month loan deal from Burnley during the summer transfer window, after the striker recovered from a serious cruciate knee ligament injury that he sustained at the start of last season.

The English-born striker has been a roaring success at St.Andrew’s during the early stages of the season, rediscovering his goalscoring touch to net four times in his opening eight appearances for the club; a tally which has taken him to the top of the Blues’ individual goalscoring chart alongside teammate and fellow forward Clayton Donaldson.

Birmingham currently sit fifth in the Championship table after an excellent start to their campaign, which has seen them lose just twice in their opening 13 games, and manager Rowett is keen for the club to look into extending star-performer Jutkiewicz’s current stay in the Midlands, providing that he can maintain his form over the coming months.

The Blues’ manager told the club’s website: “I don’t like to talk too much about contractual things – but like I said before we have got an option that we could at least have the opportunity to speak to Burnley

“Sometimes what we have been guilty of doing here is someone will have four or five strong games then all of a sudden there is clamour. I think we can maybe be a bit more patient.

“But he’s done great and if he continues the form he has shown so far then of course we would want to keep him longer.”

The decision as to whether Jutkiewicz will be allowed to extend his stay at St.Andrew’s will ultimately fall to the player’s parent club, Burnley. However, after failing to score a single goal in his 35 appearances for The Clarets, Sean Dyche is unlikely to stand in the striker’s way, providing Birmingham come to the table with a satisfactory offer.