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City defender’s breakthrough on the horizon: Opinion

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As Pep Clotet continues to invest his time, coaching and belief into the young players at the club, could another be joining the Blues first-team ranks in the not-to-distant future?

Step forward Geraldo Bajrami, a 20-year-old English-born Albanian defender, who, Clotet told BirminghamLive, is now training exclusively with the first-team and is very much part of his planning moving forward.

Though yet to make a league appearance for City, Bajrami did feature in the Carabao Cup defeat at Portsmouth in August, and his performance there alongside his constant improvement in training has elevated him into the thoughts of his manager.

Centre-back Bajrami has come through the City youth ranks and has been a key figure in the Blues Under-23 set up over recent seasons, though it seems he will soon be ready to take the next step in his fledgeling career.

The youngster is believed to be adept with the physical and technical necessities in the role of a central defender and judging by Clotet’s comments, the youngster is highly regarded by the clubs coaching staff.

Currently behind captain Harlee Dean, Marc Roberts and on-loan Chelsea man Jake Clarke-Salter in the pecking order, the Albanian Under-21 international may have to wait a little longer for a first-team opportunity – but it is certainly on the horizon at least.

It may be that Clotet waits for consistent performances and league status solidarity before the youngster is given his chance. The Spaniard will almost certainly want to pair him with a senior figure such as Dean or Roberts when that chance comes, to act as a guiding figure and offer positional support and advice.

One things for certain though, Clotet will give him the opportunity at some point in the foreseeable future. The development of the clubs young players is a major objective for the Spaniard in terms of helping to safeguard the clubs future. It’s clever, patient and certainly necessary planning which is already bearing fruit.

With Steve Seddon, Jude Bellingham and Odin Bailey already now part of the first-team squad, Geraldo Bajrami could well be the next prospect from the City production line.

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