Football
Exclusive: Birmingham Plot Che Adams Return as Torino Striker Faces Bench Struggles
Birmingham City is confident they can bring Scotland International Che Adams back to St Andrews despite his bench role at Torino. With recent losses, the club is considering another spending spree in January to maintain their momentum. Adams could be tempted by a return to Birmingham if playing opportunities remain scarce under Baroni.
Torino FC v Atalanta BC - Serie A by DeFodi Images | Getty Images
Birmingham City have not given up hope of bringing Che Adams back to St Andrews, as their ambitious American owners plot a course towards the Premier League, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
The Scotland international, who spent three years with The Blues earlier in his career, is now in his second season with Italian club Torino after moving there from Southampton.
Despite making 28 appearances for them last term, under Paolo Vanoli, all of Adams’ four outings in Serie A since the new campaign began in August have come from the bench with the former Fiorentina and Rangers defender’s successor Marco Baroni preferring to use him as a substitute.
Adams’ two starts have both come in the Coppa Italia, against Modena and Pisa.
That has alerted Birmingham, whose board includes NFL superstar Tom Brady, to the possibility of moving for a player who remains a firm favourite with supporters there.
They first considered moving for Adams during the summer transfer window, before his contractual situation at the Olimpico Grande Torino persuaded them to pursue alternative targets instead.
But with Baroni seemingly intent on going down a different selection route, Blues officials are once again monitoring the centre-forward’s situation closely.
After winning promotion from League One five months ago, Chris Davies’ side made a flying start to life back in the Championship and completed a series of high-profile signings.
SPENDING SPREE
But they have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions which, given the financial resources at Davies’ disposal, is likely to spark another spending spree in January as Brady and major shareholder Tom Wagner look to maintain the club’s momentum.
Although Adams is happy on the continent and is not looking to actively force a move, he would be tempted by a return to the west Midlands if opportunities continue to prove in short supply under Baroni.
He netted 38 times in 123 games for Blues, after leaving Sheffield United, before heading to St Mary’s in a reported £15m deal.
Wagner and Brady would not baulk at the prospect of paying a multi-million pound figure to prise him away from Torino if Baroni and his sporting director Davide Vagnati decide Adams is surplus to requirements.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.