According to Birmingham Live, relegated Championship team Birmingham City and former Coventry City and Swindon Town striker Lukas Jutkiewicz are close to reaching an agreement on a new deal.
After 330 appearances for the team over eight years, the League One team is nearing a new contract for the 35-year-old striker. Due to his age and the short length of his current contract, Jutkiewicz’s future was in doubt as his contract was about to end this summer. The Southampton-born center forward began his senior career at Swindon Town. He has since played on loan at Everton, Plymouth Argyle, Everton, Huddersfield Town, Motherwell, Coventry City, Middlesbrough, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, and finally Birmingham. He signed a permanent deal with Birmingham during the winter window after initially joining on loan in 2016.
Is Jutkiewicz able to provide results for Birmingham City?
The striker’s influence off the field may have decreased recently, but his influence off the field cannot be understated. His expertise and leadership qualities can be crucial for a team trying to recover from a disappointing campaign. Having scored close to 100 goals in the second division, he should be able to find the back of the net while moving down a level. He will probably only be offered a one-year contract at age 35, but if he stays in shape, it wouldn’t be unusual for him to play in the EFL far into his 30s. Jamie Vardy is expected to stay at Leicester into his 38th birthday in 2019, but on a different level.
Many analysts presently have Birmingham City as the favorite for League One the next season. They want to return straight to the second division in the hopes of avoiding the same fate as teams like Portsmouth, Derby County, or Ipswich Town, who all spent several years in the third division.
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