Birmingham City close to deal for Granada’s midfield dynamo

Birmingham City are closing in on completing one of the bargains of the January transfer window, with Slovenian star Rene Krhin close to completing a £2m move from La Liga outfit Granada.

The powerful defensive midfielder was a key man for Nazaries last season, helping the club retain their top-flight status with one robust and reliable display after another.

Krhin originally began his senior career with Inter Milan in 2009, with none other than Jose Mourinho handing him a debut against Parma. But while he didn’t quite make the grade at the San Siro, the 26-year-old has continued to impress and develop.

Indeed, Inter even bought him back in 2014 after a successful tenure at Bologna, but it’s last summer’s move to Granada that has propelled the Slovenia international onwards, building him a reputation as one of La Liga’s toughest midfield adversaries.

That all means he’d be quite the coup for Birmingham boss Gianfranco Zola, and with a modest fee seemingly on the cards, this could turn out to be a fantastic bit of business for the West Midlands club.

For Blues’ part, they’re currently lacking depth in defensive midfield, with only Maikel Kieftenbeld a natural in the position – and the Dutchman certainly can’t match the physical presence and strength of Krhin.

Next up for Birmingham is the visit of Newcastle United in the Emirates FA Cup, with 3/1 for the hosts to enjoy a first victory in six meetings with the Tyneside outfit.

Combine victory over Newcastle with the signing of one of Spanish football’s most imposing midfielders, and this could turn out to be a memorable week for Blues fans.

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