Birmingham City fan favourite set for pre-season with Championship rival

Onel Hernandez will report for pre-season with Norwich City – despite Birmingham City’s interest in bringing him back to St Andrew’s. BirminghamLive understands the 29-year-old will return to Carrow Road – and Dean Smith’s squad - when the Canaries’ players reconvene next month.

He will do so having spent all of last season on loan – first at Middlesbrough and then at Blues – and with one year left on the contract he signed in the summer of 2019. He will also do so with Smith’s team having been relegated back to the Championship after just one Premier League campaign.

Smith will cast an eye over the likes of Hernandez, who has been training with his men since the end of Blues’ season, Jordan Hugill, Todd Cantwell, Sam McCallum, Daniel Sinani and Bali Mumba and said: “We are looking forward to working with all the players again. We want to make some additions as well, we want to freshen it up and put our own stamp on it.

“But the standards have been set for the players and they know what is required when they come back. Then it is up to them to fight for a place in the team.”

Hernandez was sent to the Riverside Stadium in August, when Daniel Farke was still in charge of Norwich. However, he briefly returned to be allowed to join Blues in the January transfer window. Having scored once in 18 games for Boro – where he fell out of Chris Wilder’s plans – he made a big impact at St Andrew’s.

Despite playing in a variety of positions he scored three times in 22 matches and brought and energy and pace to Lee Bowyer ’s team. Hernandez showed his gratitude to Blues on social media: “I‘d like to say a big thankyou to @BCFC I was warmly welcomed from the first day I came. I’ve enjoyed my time here thanks to Lee Bowyer for this