Birmingham report losses of £34.6m for 2024-25

Birmingham City are 16th in the Championship table with five matches remaining [Getty Images]

Birmingham City have reported a pre-tax loss of £34.6m for the year 2024-25, the period covering the club's record-breaking promotion season in League One.

The deficit is a sizable increase from the £16.1m loss posted for the previous 12 months and continues the trend of Championship clubs struggling to balance the books this season.

So far only three teams - Luton Town, Sheffield United and Stoke City - have announced profits for year up to June 2025.

In figures announced via Companies House, Birmingham grew overall revenue by nearly £7m to £35.6m in 2024-25, despite a £6m dent in television income as a result of playing in the third tier.

Player wages rose 9% from £35.8m to £38.9m, but they did make £14m from the sales of Jordan James to Rennes, Romelle Donovan to Brentford and sell-on fees collected from Jude Bellingham's move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid and younger brother Jobe's transfer from Sunderland to Dortmund.

Blues did spend significantly on strengthening their squad for their immediate promotion back to the Championship last summer including a League-One record £10m for Jay Stansfield.

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The accounts also show Blues' continued dependency on US owners Knighthood Capital Management, who completed their total takeover in November when their subsidiary company, Shelby Companies Limited, acquired the remaining 51.1% of shares of the previously Chinese-owned club.

The report reveals that since July 2024, a year after SCL first took a controlling stake, its day-to-day funding was covered by Knighthead.

Going forward, the directors headed by chairman Tom Wager, have outlined "detailed cashflow forecasts" up until the end of December this year that show the company needs "additional funding of approximately £59m from Knighthead for the period from July 2025 to December 2026".

It was added that Knighthead expect "sufficient working capital to be able to advance funds for the company to meet its financial obligations as and when they fall due for the next 12 months".

As a result "no material uncertainties" were noted.

Birmingham are 16th in the Championship, 12 points clear of the relegation zone and 13 adrift of the play-off places with five games of the regular season to go.

Click here to read a full breakdown of Birmingham City's accounts for the 2024-25 season.