Dutch football pundit stunned by Birmingham City’s deal for Willum Willumsson

Birmingham City have been looking for signs of a statement and the acquisition of Iceland midfielder Willum Willumsson has caused a stir in England and Holland.

Willumsson, 25, is the second player the Blues have poached from Dutch football this summer, following the signing of Swedish winger Emil Hansson. The Blues are talented players from the Eredivisie and are convincing them to play League 1 football.

Chris Davies’ side are already the envy of League One and the Willumsson deal has stunned Dutch football fans. With 15 goals in 58 Eredivisie games over two seasons with midfield side Go Ahead Eagles, Willumsson has become one of the league’s most influential players.

Michael Statham, who follows the Eredivisie for Football Oranje, said Birmingham Live: “He plays for Go Ahead Eagles, who are a team that qualified for European competition last season in the Eredivisie, finishing ninth and winning the qualification play-offs, so they’re a top mid-table team. I am very surprised that he will be relegated to League One in England and I say not from a salary point of view – Birmingham can afford it now – but more from a sporting point of view.

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“He’s coming into the prime of his career and clubs like Southampton and teams in Italy were looking at him. I’m surprised he’s making this move, but maybe he sees it as more of a long-term gain.

“I think it’s a very good signing for Birmingham. Obviously, they are looking at Eredivisie players who want to play in another country and can offer them a higher salary.

“If the Blues go to the Championship, they are still in a decent league. The Eredivisie has great quality at the top, less so at the bottom. The average teams are of similar quality to the Championship, but with less money.”

Willumsson looks set to be another coup for the big-spending Blues. But what about his skills? Standing at 6ft 3in, Willumsson has the physical attributes to excel in England but also possesses a touch of quality.

Statham added: “Willumsson is seen as one of the best players in the Eredivisie. At Go Ahead Eagles, he is one of their best players and has good quality. It was seen that he could go up and maybe go somewhere else, not in the top three places in the Eredivisie, but further down, a club chasing Europe, that’s where we saw him land.

“Last season was a big part of their success. He was a physical player that the Eredivisie is not used to. The Eredivisie is used to tappy football, while he is physical, direct and supports the striker.

“He is a threat in the box and can score goals. He plays as number 10, attacking midfielder, but he is a professional midfielder.

“Willumsson thrives and benefits from a striker. He is very much a busy midfielder, he wins duels and physical battles because of his size and that gives him an advantage in the box as well, getting to the end. He is also quite technical. He ties the game up pretty well.”

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