Charlie Lakin impressed in the club’s last pre-season friendly against Ulm at the weekend, and the midfielder’s performance led to the Birmingham Mail to profile the 19-year-old.
There’s no doubt that Garry Monk needs an attacking midfielder to improve our creativity, and while it would be preferable to sign a ready-made playmaker, that may not be possible.
So, I asked supporters if they think the teenager should be given a chance to stake his claim for a first-team place:
As we have seen with Wes Harding and many others who have come through the academy, it really is a case that if they are good enough, they are old enough.
At 19 years of age, Lakin does need game time, and with our issues around Financial Fair Play, this could be the perfect opportunity for him to show what he can do with the first-team down on numbers.
It would be a gamble to chuck him in right in the deep end for the first Championship match of the season, but there’s no harm giving him more starts during pre-season to see what he’s made of. Is it still too early for the midfielder or is he ready? Let me know what you think.