The in-form striker has been the talk of the Championship in recent weeks
Birmingham City manager Chris Davies refused to be drawn on the Blues’ attempts to sign Oli McBurnie in the summer, before he joined Hull City.
McBurnie was the subject of firm interest from a host of clubs following his decision to leave Las Palmas, including former clubs Sheffield United and Swansea City.
Hull Live understands Birmingham were another of those who threw their hat into the ring, along with Wrexham, amongst others, but it was the Tigers who won the race, and McBurnie has repaid that faith in some style.
The Scotland international has bagged seven goals, with six of those coming in the Championship, along with three assists. His electric form in September saw him crowned the Championship’s Player of the Month, as well as claiming the fans’ award.
Davies, though, would not comment on the Blues’ summer interest in the 29-year-old, with Kyogo Furuhashi and Marvin Ducksch both providing competition for Jay Stansfield.
“It was talk. We had a long list of targets that had to get shortened down into the ones that you really go after,” Davies told Birmingham Live ahead of the second city meeting. “He’s come back from Spain and gone to Hull (City) and he’s made a good start to the season.”
While he steered clear of any meaningful transfer chat around the in-form striker, Davies did admit that McBurnie had been the stand-out performer in the opening nine games of the Championship campaign.
“There won’t be a special plan for McBurnie,” he explained. “He has been in good form, to be fair, and he’s a good player at this level but it will be our general principles and how to deal with a striker of that type and then making sure we don’t give up chances to the people that are providing the chances for him, one of them being (Ryan) Giles who has been very good with his quality on that side.
“They’ve got (Joe) Gelhardt as well, who’s dangerous. We need to be vigilant and aware of the quality they have. Every team we have played have got one or two of those, even though McBurnie has been the stand-out player in the division in terms of strikers, but every team has one or two. We’ve dealt with it, and we will have to again.”
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