Among the clubs doing business this summer, it’s fair to say that Birmingham City were one of the busiest.
Eight players arrived at the club on free transfers or loan deals, while 14 went the other way out the door.
One of those was Fran Villalba, who secured another return to Spain following his loan deal with UD Almeria last year.
This time around, he’s made the move to Sporting Gijon, signing on loan from Birmingham until the end of the season in a deal that includes a €750,000 purchase clause, according to El Comercio.
The newspaper say the midfielder has ‘landed on his feet’ at Sporting, where he has made an ‘immediate’ adaptation to the club.
He’s reportedly already ‘won over the dressing room’ and is happy at the club. While he’s been shining on the pitch, he’s also comfortable off of it, living a quiet life in Asturias with his girlfriend.
It’s performances that matter, though and there he has made himself the ‘linchpin’ of the attack, with coach David Gallego having found the number ten-figure he’s long been looking for.
With two goals and one assist to his name, he’s already one each away from his tally last season and significantly better than he ever managed for Birmingham.
Indeed he’s apparently ‘going for more’, with the Blues seemingly set to pocket that purchase clause if things continue as they are.
