Three League Two strikers that Blues should sign

Straight off the back, I know what everyone is thinking, why should we sign a League Two striker when other names, bigger names, have already been linked with the club?

Well, despite the strikers being two divisions lower that Blues, I always believe that if a striker knows where the goal is, they won’t ever struggle to produce in a team that is creating plenty of chances.

All you have to do is look at what Jamie Vardy has done with Leicester City. He played in the lower divisions and no offence to him, he wasn’t the most rounded player that anybody had ever watched, even at non-league level, but he always knew where the goal was and he hasn’t looked back since.

Yes, the fourth tier of English football may not be the most appealing of divisions, but there are still some good players in the league and here are three forwards who I think could be good signings for Birmingham City next season…

JAY SIMPSON – LEYTON ORIENT.

The former Arsenal man has gone through the mill a little bit during his career, playing across the divisions, but last season was arguably the best he has had in a football shirt for a long time.

For Orient, Simpson scored 25 goals in the league, which made him second top goal scorer behind Matty Taylor of Bristol Rovers, a striker Blues were reportedly interested in before he signed a new contract.

As well as the 25 goals he bagged for himself, the ex-Hull City striker also assisted three goals, which I think as a striker is a respectable tally because although they want all the goals for themselves, they do have to show a little bit of versatility at times as well.

There is no doubt that the 27-year-old has what it takes to play in a higher division and personally I don’t think he would be overly expensive because he only has one year left on his current contract.

BEN WILLIAMSON – CAMBRIDGE UNITED.

Although Williamson isn’t as prolific as the earlier mentioned Simpson, considering the former Gillingham striker only took 32 shots in the league last season, his return of 12 goals is fairly impressive.

Of the 32 shots that he took in the division (stats taken from BBC Sport online), 19 were on target which works out at 59%. His tally may not seem that appealing to some fans but when you think of the chances that Blues created last season, we just needed somebody prolific to get the ball over the line and Williamson could be that man.

The ex-Bournemouth loanee joined United on a permanent deal until the summer of 2017 in January and if Blues offered the right amount for him, I think we would be able to prize him away and at 27, he still has time to prove himself at a higher level.

JOHN AKINDE – BARNET.

Another 27-year-old striker who I think Blues should seriously consider making a move for is Akinde from Barnet. He was third top goal scorer in League Two last season with 23 to his name, only two less than Simpson, but more importantly, he was key to how the Bees played.

Chipping in with eight assists, the six foot two striker is somebody who I think could really develop well in the Championship and although he would seem like a huge gamble to most fans, he could be the gamble that pays off in a big way.

Like I keep saying, find a striker who can put the ball in the back of the net and he will do it in any division, well Akinde could potentially be that striker.

I watched him quite a bit in the division last season and some of the stuff he was doing was outstanding and I am sure he will have caught the eye of many managers and hopefully Gary Rowett is aware of what this man is capable of doing in front of goal.

VERDICT…

Out of the three strikers that I have mentioned, personally I would like to see the club move for either Simpson or Akinde.

Narrowing it down from those two, as much as I like Akinde, I think Simpson would be better suited to the Sky Bet Championship as he has played at a higher level before.

Blues fans, do you think Gary Rowett should dip into the lower leagues in his search for a striker? Would you have any of the three that have been mentioned? Let us know in the comment section down below!