Birmingham City pushing to appoint ex-Manchester United executive as sporting director... but are struggling to agree compensation with Atalanta

· DailyMail

TOM COLLOMOSSE: The Championship club have yet to find a replacement for Craig Gardner, who left in June, and as things stand are believed to prefer an external appointment.

Birmingham have expressed an interest in hiring former Manchester United transfer chief John Murtough as director of football.

The Championship club have yet to find a replacement for Craig Gardner, who left in June, and as things stand are believed to prefer an external appointment to promoting from within.

Daily Mail Sport understands that Murtough is prominent on the list but he is currently director of global development for Atalanta and Blues would have to pay compensation to the Italian club.

Murtough was director of football for three years at Old Trafford and left in April 2024, soon after Sir Jim Ratcliffe took control. He had also been United’s academy manager and director of development.

When Murtough was director of football, the club brought back Cristiano Ronaldo and also paid high transfer fees for Rasmus Hojlund , Jadon Sancho and Antony . All struggled to make an impact and have departed.

He was also in place when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November 2021, and Erik ten Hag hired the following summer.

Blues’ American ownership group, which includes NFL great Tom Brady, aspire to join English football’s elite and plan to build a 62,000-seat stadium on the outskirts of the city, part of a £2billion redevelopment project.

They spent heavily in summer 2025 to try to win instant promotion to the Premier League but did not succeed and they are now 10th in the Championship under boss Chris Davies, winning two and drawing five of their first eight games.

They face rivals West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on October 10.

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