Kyogo, Panzo, Doyle - How seven former Birmingham City players are getting on after summer exits

Birmingham City’s hope going into the summer transfer window was they would leave Chris Davies with a stronger squad than they started.

The jury is still out on that front and although the early signs are Davies’ players are physically stronger on an individual basis – whether there is enough depth in attacking positions remains to be seen.

A bright start to his Blues career by Liam Millar has helped no end, while the arrival of Max Bird seems to have compensated for Tommy Doyle’s return to parent club Wolves.

Dael Fry gives Blues a far higher quality third centre back than at any point last season.

Indeed seven players left St Andrew’s, either at the culmination of the 2025/26 campaign or during the summer transfer window. Here’s how they’re getting on...

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! All the latest Blues news on Birmingham Live’s Birmingham City FC Facebook page

The German’s desire to cut short his Blues career just a few months into it was an unwanted curveball of which any Philadelphia Phillies pitcher would have been proud.

Wagner returned to the MLS and has inspired a remarkable turnaround. Philadelphia Union were bottom of the Eastern Conference before he arrived. They are now sixth and in with a strong shout of the play-offs.

Union’s ‘Assist King’ had provided four in 12 games, including three in the comeback win over Atlanta and they haven’t lost since the resumption of normal service at left-back.

“His leadership and experience have been incredibly important,” Union reporter Jose Nunez recently told BirminghamLive.

Ex-Blues striker Kyogo Furuhashi rues a missed chance for LA Galaxy

Blues’ big mistake of last summer also moved to the MLS - and he’s continuing to struggle.

Kyogo scored only twice last term and missed a hatful of big chances that could have changed the direction of the season.

The direction of the 31-year-old’s career hasn’t changed though, he’s started the last eight games for the Galaxy had hasn’t scored. According to FotMob, he has missed two big chances and LA are ninth, fighting for a place in the Western Conference play-offs.

The centre back made a solid start to his Blues but a tentativeness and errors started to creep into his performances. He ended up being released at the end of last season after only nine appearances.

He’s since resurfaced at Greek side Levadiakos. Panzo joins a team currently second bottom of the Greek Super League and was not involved in the match-day squad that lost to Olimpiacos.

Levadiakos are based in central Greece and is the 11th club of Panzo’s career in a fifth different country.

The experienced centre back never looked a good fit for Blues and left by mutual consent just after the start of the season. He is yet to find a new club.

Another of last summer’s great swings and misses. In the few chances he was given last season and this pre-season Fujimoto did not look to have the quality to operate at Championship level.

He was sent on loan to his former club Tokyo Verdy where he’s made one start, providing an assist in a 2-1 J League Cup defeat to Sagan Tosu. He also played four minutes off the bench against the Urawa Reds.

The midfielder is back in the Wolves squad and while he hasn’t started any of their seven league games, he’s played in them all, providing assists against Preston and Sheffield United.

He seems fully reintegrated into the Old Gold squad and said: “Even if I’m not starting, I’m now in a mindset where it isn’t about being disappointed, it’s how can I get onto the pitch and help my teammates, help the club and help the manager get three points. That’s the most important thing.

"I’m now one of the players in this squad with the most Championship appearances and I understand what this league is about. It’s 46 games and although you might not start initially, there’ll be opportunities when you get a run in the team.”

The winger went back to Brighton after an exciting half season with Blues and the hope was they’d be able to sweet-talk the Seagulls into sending him back this season.

The 21-year-old clearly had other ideas because a good pre-season and injuries to key players gave him opportunities to impress Fabian Hurzeler and he is now involved in the Brighton first team.

Osman has made three Premier League appearances off the bench and featured in the UEFA Conference League.

He is currently away with Ghana, who lost Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with The Gambia and Ivory Coast but did not add to his four caps.