What looked to be a good deal for Birmingham at the time, actually turned out to be a great one for West Brom.
Along with Aston Villa, they are two of the three teams that compete in the West Midlands derby.
Over the past fifteen years, the two teams have alternated between the Championship and the Premier League, with West Brom having the better record.
Over the years, both sides have shared a number of players, although few, particularly in recent years, have ever switched to the other team.
But after it has occurred, the selling team will be aiming to come out on top, particularly if it makes their competitors more difficult to work with in the future.
Jonathan Leko is the first player that immediately springs to mind.
Leko tipped for big things at the Hawthorns
Leko had been a member of West Brom since he was eleven years old and had gone through the academy there.
He was well-regarded during his junior career, and by the time he reached the U14 level, Baggies academy manager Mark Harrison claimed he had demonstrated both a grasp of the game and a great deal of creative ability.
His West Brom career was coming to an end. In 18/19, he would only make three trips to the Championship with the Baggies.
After that, he signed a loan with Charlton Athletic for the 2019–20 campaign, but he was sidelined for the entire year due to an ACL injury he sustained shortly before Christmas.
His tenure at West Brom came to an end as a result, and in August 2020, he signed a contract to play for Midland rival Birmingham City, reportedly paying £1 million.
Birmingham deal did not go to plan
Leko’s tenure with the Blues was not as successful as many had anticipated.
In 34 games, he would finish his first season at St Andrew’s without scoring or dishing out an assist. His tenure at Birmingham deteriorated from that point on.
He would then be sent out on loan the following season, returning to Charlton, this time in League One. In 30 games for the Addicks, he would net three goals.
He would return to Birmingham after a lacklustre loan with Charlton, making eight cameo appearances before joining MK Dons on a permanent basis for an undisclosed sum.
Heartbreak due to injuries halted what appeared to be a good start for West Brom. Birmingham then made the audacious decision to spend £1 million for Leko, but in the end, the move backfired.
Admittedly, West Brom most certainly had the last laugh.
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