According to reports, newly promoted Premier League side Newcastle United have offered their want away defender Grant Hanley to Championship side Birmingham City as Rafael Benitez doesn’t see the Scotsman in his plans anymore. Harry Redknapp is desperate to beef up his back line and Hanley’s experience could be a huge boost for the side.
Following the poor end to their season last campaign, the Blues have brought in a new manager to try and get a change in mindset. And the 70-year-old has wasted no time in bolstering his squad by bringing in David Stockdale from Brighton & Hove Albion, Marc Roberts from Barnsley, Craig Gardner from West Bromwich Albion and Cheikh N’Doye from Angers.
However, it is quite clear that defensive arrivals have been very few for the former Tottenham Hotspur manager. For a side that ended up conceding 64 goals last season in 46 games, Birmingham have failed to tend to their biggest concern. Apart from Marc Roberts, there has been no defensive additions, and now with reports of Ryan Shotton leaving St. Andrew’s Stadium, Redknapp is in all kind of troubles.
With the Championship commencing in less than a week, Redknapp is in dire need of a proven centre half and the availability of Hanley should come as a boon for him. Sheffield Wednesday have also been keen on landing the 25-year-old and Birmingham have to act fast if they want him.
He was brought in for just more than £5 million last season as a determined Benitez was recruiting aggressively. However, the player has since fallen from the top order with the Spanish manager going with Jamaat Lascelles and Ciaran Clark taking the mast.
The youth product of former Scottish giants Rangers, Hanley has spent a considerable time in England now since his move to Blackburn Rovers in 2008. While he started for the underage side, Hanley wasted no time in breaking into the first team. For a 25-year-old, he has chunks of experience in English football and is a more or less regular face in the Scottish team.
Hanley has been capped 27 times by the country so far and his last appearance came in November 2016 in a 3-0 defeat to England at Wembley. In Hanley, Redknapp would get a real leader whose thinking and maturity reflects it. Whichever side he side played for, he has often been handed over the armband.
Following Scott Dan’s departure from the club in 2014, the leadership job was given to him with the then Blackburn manager Gary Bowyereben touting him as the future Scotland skipper.
