Che Adams: Birmingham City had no significant bids for top scorer, says boss Garry Monk

Published on: 01 February 2019

The tally of 25 goals scored in the Championship by Che Adams and Lukas Jutkiewicz is bettered by only other duo in the Championship, WBA strike partners Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez

Birmingham City manager Garry Monk says he was always confident that Blues would hang onto top scorer Che Adams during the January transfer window.

Following continued monitoring by the English Football League in the wake of heavy losses, the Championship club were allowed to make only one signing.

Blues' main fear was that they might get a big bid for 22-year-old Adams.

But Monk told BBC WM: "There was nothing of any significance for me to be concerned about."

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Monk added: "Anything on the financial side is for the club to deal with. The only thing to be communicated to me was that the bids which came in were not of the sort of level you'd expect for someone like Che.

"The club were on the same page, in terms of doing our best to keep our best players. And I was always confident that he would still be here. Now the window is closed, we can all move on."

'Biggest credit' to Che

At a time when the goals have dried up for Adams' strike partner Lukas Jutkiewicz, who has not scored in 12 games since the Second City derby in November, Monk is now looking at his 15-goal top scorer getting even better - and helping to keep Blues as the dark horses in the very competitive Championship promotion race.

Just as when Jutkiewicz was on his hot streak in the autumn, Monk is quick to acknowledge that both strikers have benefited from working with his right-hand man, former England striker James Beattie.

But he also stresses that Adams' improvement is down to his willingness to listen and work hard - two and a half years on from his arrival from Sheffield United.

"He's definitely matured as a person," added Monk. "Not only in terms of his football, in doing what is expected of him and what he needs to do for the team, but the way he trains every day and conducts himself off the pitch.

"We've spoken and worked with him and made him understand those things, but the biggest credit has to got to Che himself for taking it all on board and trying to apply it."

Following the transfer embargo imposed last summer by the EFL, Blues were allowed to make just one signing in this window - Swedish international Kerim Mrabti, who was left on the bench in Tuesday's 3-3 draw at Swansea. He may now figure in Saturday's home fixture with Nottingham Forest.

Garry Monk was talking to BBC WM's Blues reporter Richard Wilford

Source: bbc.com

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