Birmingham City could be facing significant changes behind the scenes as reports indicate that director of football Craig Gardner is set to leave his role. The Telegraph's John Percy reported on Thursday evening that Gardner, 39, is stepping away from his position, and the recruitment process to find a successor is already underway.
When contacted by BirminghamLive, Blues declined to comment on the reports of Gardner's exit. Gardner was promoted to director of football last year after spending four years as the club's technical director. During his five-year tenure in these roles, he has overseen the football side of the business and taken primary responsibility for the club's transfer dealings.
Under previous owners Trillion Trophy Asia, Gardner often operated as a one-man recruitment team. However, following Knighthead's takeover in July 2023, he was able to build a squad of transfer specialists. Gardner is also credited with playing a key role in Knighthead's acquisition of the club. Shortly after the takeover was confirmed, Knighthead frontman Tom Wagner said: "Without his help we would never have completed this transaction."
Gardner led Birmingham's recruitment last season, during which the club signed 18 players across two windows. Knighthead had hoped that this would result in a better finish than the 10th place they achieved.
