Bristol City £1.5m deal with Birmingham City transfer revealed

Taylor Gardner-Hickman had a desire to play regular first-team football and that is why he left Bristol City to join Birmingham City, according to his parent club manager.
Twelve months after leaving West Brom, the 22-year-old returned to the Midlands to play for Blues on a season-long loan from the Robins. The previous season, he had made 36 appearances for the West Country team, including 22 starts, but he was pushed down the roster by Jason Knight and Joe Williams.

In the first two Championship games for Bristol City, he was not used as a substitute. Shortly after, he was given the chance to sign with Birmingham. Moving to St Andrew’s was swift, and he managed to make his debut this past weekend in the 2-1 victory over Leyton Orient.

When asked whether the move orchestrated by the club or the player, Bristol City manager Liam Manning said: “Probably a bit of both.

“I think I’ve had real honest conversations with Tayls.

“They’re getting someone great with Tayls. He’s got some qualities that we like, but at the same point, when you look at the group and the level increasing – not just in terms of the level but also the competition within it – ultimately nobody’s guaranteed a start. Everybody has to fight, to compete.

“Obviously when you look at it, Knighty and Joe have started so well that then he was going to have to fight and be patient and wait for that. But he came to see me and ultimately had more assurances that he was going to start elsewhere.”

Since his arrival, Gardner-Hickman was given the number 19 shirt which Jordan James wore, and he could be considered a like for like replacement for the Wales international. He made a good account of himself at Brisbane Road on the weekend with Chris Davies hailing him for his display.

“He was neat and tidy with the ball, made good choices, and he was robust and physical in the defensive work that he had to do,” Davies stated in an interview with Birmingham Live.

“He contributed pretty well, in my opinion, and he was disciplined in this positioning. In that region, he provided us with positive energy when we needed it.

Gardner-Hickman’s loan arrangement includes a buyout option that, should all parties choose to pursue it, could make the loan permanent. If Bristol Live’s news about the agreed-upon amount between the two teams is accurate, Bristol City may be able to turn a profit on him.

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