FrazFletcher has reported that Birmingham City are keen on signing Stoke City captain Josh Laurent, although wages may be an issue.
The midfielder made 37 Championship appearances last season but only has 1 year left on his contract at Stoke.
Josh Laurent- Player Profile
Blues will be looking to add some physicality to their midfield for the upcoming League 1 season and Laurent could be the answer to that. The Stoke captain has played in all 3 midfield positions yet his preferred role for Stoke seems to be more defensive one, where he can put in strong tackles and perform both short and long range passes.
Laurent could also play alongside a recognised defensive midfielder and have the license to go forward. His 6ft 2 frame allows him to dispossess the opposition, averaging 2 tackles per game, and powerfully drive forward with the ball and create opportunities for his teammates as he averaged 1 key pass per game last season.
Josh Laurent signed for Stoke in 2022 after impressing in his first 2 seasons of Championship football at Reading. The midfielder won the player of the year award following his first season at The Royals where he started 45 out of 46 league games, scoring 3 goals and helping Reading finish just outside the play-offs in 7th.
Laurent was again a mainstay in the starting 11 during his second season but played in a deeper role as part of a midfield pivot, or even as a centre-back for a period. The Englishman was a bright spark in a poor Reading side as they finished 21st, surviving 4 points outside of the relegation zone.
Following the expiration of his contract, Laurent signed for Stoke City and scored 5 goals in 36 appearances during the 22/23 season. The midfielder was made captain for the first time away at Birmingham City in a 0-0 draw. This continued and prior to the start of the 23/24 season, Laurent was made captain of The Potters.
During last season, he again demonstrated his versatility, playing in all 3 midfield positions, centre-back and even on the left-wing in a 2-1 win away at Preston North End. Stoke ended the season strongly with 3 consecutive wins after a previous scare of being threatened by relegation.
Final Thoughts
Signing Josh Laurent would be a statement for Birmingham City, stealing an established quality player, who is captain of a Championship side is a big ask. However, with only 1 year left on his contract and Blues’ financial power, I would not rule it out. I feel he would bring much needed strength, tackling and passing ability to the Birmingham City midfield as there is likely to be an increase of physical battles in League 1.
Laurent would also suit Chris Davies’ style as I suspect he would act as a deep-lying midfielder who is allowed to drive forward with the ball. Overall, the main questions would be whether the 29 year old would drop down a division for potential longer term success, aswell as if Blues would be happy to pay his wages which could be upwards of 20k a week.