Birmingham City and Jack Butland: Blues' stance on Rangers-linked goalkeeper explained

Birmingham City have been credited with an interest in bringing Jack Butland back to St Andrew’s.

The claim was made over the weekend as The Sun journalist Alan Nixon said Blues wanted to make a 'shock' swoop for a player who came through their academy.

Butland was just 19 years old when the club cashed in on him in January 2013. The deal saw him move to Stoke City and return on loan for the remainder of that season. He went on to stay in the Potteries for seven years before signing for Crystal Palace in October 2020.

However, he has played just 17 times for the Eagles and was Vicente Guaita's deputy for a lot of last season. Competition for places at Selhurst Park could become even more intense with the south London said to be closing in on a deal for free agent Sam Johnstone.

It was that development which persuaded Blues to enquire about Butland’s availability, but with a year still to run on his current contract BirminghamLive understands the move would be on a loan rather than a permanent deal.

But even a loan is thought to be something of a long shot with Butland very much viewed as a Premier League calibre goalkeeper. He has played 87 Premier League games in his career and won eight England caps.

Newly-promoted Bournemouth and Scottish Premiership runners-up Rangers were both claimed to be interested as well, with the Cherries able to offer Butland top flight football and the Ibrox outfit an opportunity to play in Europe.

Blues are making enquiries about goalkeepers after it emerged Wolves are set to keep Matija Sarkic at Molineux next term, either to compete with or be a competitive back-up to first choice stopper Jose Sa. Blues have Neil Etheridge as first choice but the return of Sarkic to Wolves and the