Birmingham City are certainly not afraid to throw their wait around.
With those US backers giving The Blues access to the kind of financial muscle and pulling power that almost every club in League One’s history can only dream of, it must feel that barely a week goes by without another eye-catching signing arriving at St Andrews these days.
Alfons Sampsted became Birmingham’s tenth summer signing over the weekend.
The Iceland international reunites with compatriot and ‘friend’ Willum Thor Willumson. Thus, becoming the third player to leave a club in the Netherlands’ top flight for a club in England’s third-tier in the space of a few weeks.
Willumson made his Birmingham debut in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Reading. So too did Emil Hansson, Alex Cochrane, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Marc Leonard and Alfie May.
And it was the latter who rescued a point for Chris Davies’ side, slotting home an 87th minute penalty.
Alfie May makes superb start at Birmingham City
After winning League One’s Golden Boot with Charlton Athletic last term, May is picking up where he left off. Albeit in blue, rather than red these days.
According to reports, the late-blooming poacher set Birmingham back around £775,000.
And by Michael Duff’s own admission, May was initially a leading target for rivals Huddersfield Town this summer. His eventual switch to the Midlands leaves The Terriers boss chasing a number nine with time in the window running out fast.
“We are still looking to add, but you don’t always get what you want,” Duff tells the Yorkshire Post.
“I would like a 6ft 3in centre-forward who can hold it up, run in behind and finish. But, with respect, we are where we are. We will try and get the best player that is available to us
“Transfers don’t just happen. Supporters think they do, but they don’t. A lot of work goes into it.”
May is not quite 6ft 3ins – a rather diminutive, tricky forward at just 5ft 9ins – but every club with promotion ambitions needs a centre-forward capable of racking up the goals like he can.
In each the last three seasons, representing Cheltenham Town and then Charlton, May has broken the 20-goal barrier.
May’s Blues facing Charlton Athletic reunion
“It’s a pretty well told story now that we had a player in the building and he went to a different club the day after,” adds Duff, explaining just how close Huddersfield came to a man who netted 27 times in all competitions last term.
“So until they sign on the dotted line (they are not yet our player). We are still looking in that area of the pitch.”
May will return to his old stomping ground on Tuesday night.
Birmingham face Charlton at The Valley to kick off their EFL Cup campaign, with May not quite sure what sort of reception awaits him.
“It will be an interesting one to see what the crowd say and do about me,” May tells the BirminghamLive. ““I’m a grown man. An adult. It won’t affect me if I get some boos.
“When I went there there was a lot of outside noise – again – and a lot of inside noise, from people inside the club that were questioning my age when I first signed.
“But I made a promise to someone when I first signed that I would score 20-plus goals. I kept my promise, I won the Golden Boot, I did my job. I couldn’t do much more.
“When you leave, you hear some things that are said about you, but I’d like to think the reception I get is going to be a good one. Every club that I’ve been to I’ve been a fans’ favourite. I will work hard on the pitch, I’ll run around and do my best to make sure I’m helping the team.”
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