Birmingham City might well have stormed to the League One title in part due to their electric attacking arsenal consisting of Jay Stansfield, Alfie May, and many others, but the Blues’ defence also shone all season to ensure the title was triumphantly lifted.
Indeed, Chris Davies’ men would only ship 31 goals across the course of the memorable 46-game marathon, as the likes of Christoph Klarer and Ben Davies routinely bullied third-tier attackers.
Davies will know he needs that same switched-on approach from his back-line as they navigate a step-up in quality, with Birmingham once possessing a rock-solid option at this level in the form of Auston Trusty, before he eventually moved on to pastures new at Celtic.
Trusty's standout loan spell at Birmingham
The American titan would join the building on loan the season before Birmingham’s relegation to League One, but that isn’t to say he entered a camp that was sky-high on confidence.
The Blues had been locked into many a relegation scrap before his arrival, with a worrying 75 goals leaked during the 2021/22 season when Trusty was still on the books of Arsenal.
Whilst Trusty’s added presence could only see Birmingham finish in an equally disappointing 17th position in the league the next campaign, his importance to the cause was definitely noticeable.
By the end of his St. Andrew’s stint, the 6-foot-3 defender would tally up four league goals from 44 games – which included this audacious flick beating Seny Dieng – away from bringing the goals conceded number down to a more respectable 58.
Winning a valiant 6.2 duels on average too, the American ultimately ended the campaign having claimed the club’s Player of the Year award, prior to sealing a permanent switch to Sheffield United.
Davies, meanwhile, will be crying out for similarly dominant performances from his batch of defenders when making the step back up, with this potential new signing going on to be his own iteration of the now Celtic regular if everything slots into place.
Birmingham could land the next Trusty
After all, despite boasting such an impressive defensive record during their promotion success story, Birmingham will know how demanding the Championship can be, meaning improvements could be sought after.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The ambitious Blues are reportedly in the race to sign Luton Town powerhouse Teden Mengi to help in this regard, with Burnley, Sunderland, and Middlesbrough all also keen on adding the ex-Manchester United defender to their rosters this summer, as per journalist Graeme Bailey.
The in-demand starlet previously joined the Blues on loan for the second half of the 2021/22 campaign, albeit with a recurring hamstring injury limiting him to just ten appearances in all competitions. Now, another opportunity to thrive at St Andrews could be on the cards.
Straight off the bat, there are plenty of comparisons to be made between Mengi and Trusty, with the pair having been noted as statistically similar players among those in their position in the Premier League, as per FBref, during the 2023/24 season with Luton and Sheffield United, respectively.
That likeness was particularly seen in their ability to sniff out the danger in their own penalty area, with Mengi ranking in the top 11% for clearances made per 90, while Trusty ranked in the top 9% for that same metric.
Equally, the 6-foot battler’s early education came at the illustrious Red Devils in the Premier League, much like his centre-back counterpart calling the Emirates home as a youngster.
Moreover, Mengi has managed to forge a successful career for himself away from his hometown club – much like the American has at Celtic – as seen in the 23-year-old’s current spell with Matt Bloomfield’s Hatters now attracting interest from various suitors.
Games played
30
20
Goals scored
1
1
Assists
0
1
Touches*
44.4
48.1
Accurate passes*
24.2 (78%)
27.8 (77%)
Ball recoveries*
4.2
4.2
Clearances*
4.5
3.9
Total duels won*
4.3
3.6
As can be seen looking at the table above, Mengi has shone in spurts for Luton, particularly when the underdogs were battling bravely against the Premier League drop, with the Manchester-born enforcer winning 4.3 duels on average across his 30 top-flight appearances.
The then Luton manager, Rob Edwards, would even label Mengi as “astounding” for his ability to perform under such pressures, with his addition to Davies’ camp now perhaps viewed as a worthwhile boost to their defensive numbers, away from just relying on the old guard of Klarer and Co.
After all, the last time Birmingham purchased a former Premier League starlet to help out the back in the form of Trusty, it went down as a golden purchase, with Mengi – who Football Transfers value at £6m – potentially viewed down the line as another successful buy.
More exciting than Gray: Birmingham eyeing up new move for "special" star
Birmingham City could seal an even more exciting signing than the return of Demarai Gray by winning this special attacker’s services.
ByKelan SarsonJun 9, 2025
