“We have to be responsible” – Sporting director hints that Birmingham transfer wasn’t their choice

Deportivo Alavés sporting director Sergio Fernández has admitted the club almost had to sell Carlos Vicente to Birmingham City in January.

AS cover comments from the Spanish director today. One of the issues he was forced to address was Vicente’s sale to Birmingham last month.

The 26-year-old winger joined the Blues in an €8m deal on January 27^th. That made him the fourth most expensive departure in the history of the Spanish club.

He had established himself as a key player at the Spanish club since joining in a €600,000 deal from Racing Ferrol in 2024. He went on to score 17 goals and register 13 assists in 82 games for them over two-and-a-half years.

His departure, midway through the season, certainly caused some consternation at Alavés. Particularly with them currently only three points outside the relegation zone at present.

Even beyond that, Sport Witness covered comments last week which labelled the transfer to Birmingham as sign as an institutional crisis for Spanish football.

Fernández, though, wants to set the record straight. He admits that while there were financial benefits, they also had to think about Vicente’s wishes.

“He was a very important player for us,” he said.

“But sometimes situations arise that force us to make decisions. Financially, we have to be responsible and also address the concerns and needs expressed by the player.”

Time for Vicente to prove himself

AS add that Vicente wanted the move because he is receiving a considerably better salary from Birmingham. They don’t provide the exact numbers, though.

Either way, he now needs to prove his worth for the Blues as they push for promotion. With two wins and a draw in his first three games, it’s certainly a positive start for him at St Andrews.

Birmingham are currently only a point outside of the top six in the Championship. That means they’re firmly in with a chance of promotion this season. The hope will be that Vicente can provide a mid-season boost, after seemingly pushing for the move.