Birmingham City January signing Carlos Vicente has admitted the club wanted him back in the summer transfer window.
Noticias de Alava have an interview with the winger today. They discuss everything regarding his move to Birmingham in the January transfer window.
Vicente joined the Blues in an €8m deal towards the end of January. it was a big move for the forward, his first outside of Spain, where he’d previously played for several sides.
His move to Alavés in 2024 was when things really took off. He established himself as a key player for the club, with 17 goals a 13 assists in 82 games in total.
Birmingham moved to snap him up as a result, paying a fee that has been widely celebrated back at Alavés. And it seems, at last if Vicente is to be believed, that the deal was long in the making.
“First, the right moment has to arise within the transfer market,” he said regarding the negotiations for him.
“The important thing is whether they let me go or not. In the summer, Birmingham came in at the end of the transfer window, and Alavés couldn’t afford it. The offer they made, and my contract situation also made the transfer possible.
“I wanted to leave on good terms, with the best possible service, something that would define my time in Vitoria.”
Birmingham was not the only possible destination for the 26-year-old. Ajax were also interested in him as they plan a rebuild in the coming months. Vicente is willing to admit that he considered their bid carefully.
“Yes, for example, Ajax,” he added regarding ‘other options’.
“It’s still a historic club that plays in the Champions League, even if it’s not at its best right now. Those were the two clubs I was considering, and in the end, the Birmingham deal fell through, and I think it was the right decision.”
