Middlesbrough are closing in on the loan signing of Blues centre-half George Edmundson.
The 27-year-old was one of those expected to leave on deadline day having dropped well back in the pecking order following the signings of Jacob Greaves and Dara O’Shea.
Edmundson joined Town on a four-year deal from Rangers in the summer of 2021.
Since then, the Manchester-born defender has made 71 starts and four sub appearances, scoring five times.
But, following the summer business, Edmundson is now Town’s sixth-choice centre-half, while the Blues currently have 28 players who qualify for the 25-man Premier League squad with another signing expected, meaning three or four players are likely to move on.