Birmingham City announces the release of 14 players and the offering of two new contracts in their retained list.

Birmingham City have confirmed the release of defender Jonathan Panzo following the expiration of his contract, as the club officially published their retained list at the conclusion of the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

Panzo arrived at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park during the January transfer window after joining from Portuguese outfit Rio Ave on a short-term six-month agreement. The move was viewed as an opportunity for the defender to prove himself and potentially secure a longer stay with Blues. However, after making nine appearances during the second half of the season, the club have now decided against extending his contract, meaning he will leave Birmingham when his current deal expires.

Jonathan Panzo in action for Birmingham City

The Championship side also confirmed the departures of several loanees who will now head back to their parent clubs following the completion of their temporary spells in the Midlands. Tommy Doyle, James Beadle, Jhon Solis and Ibrahim Osman have all officially returned to their respective clubs after contributing to Birmingham’s campaign across the season.

Despite those exits, manager Chris Davies is reportedly eager for Birmingham to continue discussions regarding permanent transfers for Solis and Osman. Both players impressed the coaching staff during their loan periods, and the club are believed to be exploring the possibility of bringing the duo back to St Andrew’s on long-term deals ahead of next season.

Away from the senior squad, Birmingham have also moved to secure the futures of two young goalkeepers. Third-choice stopper Bradley Mayo has been offered a new contract despite not yet making a first-team appearance. Mayo has remained closely involved with the senior setup over the past two years and is highly regarded within the club’s academy structure.

Young goalkeeper Will O’Sullivan has likewise been offered fresh terms as Birmingham continue their efforts to strengthen the club’s youth pathway and retain promising academy talent for the future.

At the same time, Birmingham confirmed that 13 academy and youth players will leave the club upon the expiry of their contracts at the end of June. The players departing are Yusuf Ahmed, Godfred Boakye, Trae Briscoe, O’Shea Ellis, Cameron Eubank, Tommy Fogarty, Daniel Isichei, Cody Pennington, Frank Tattum, Szymon Terenowicz, Zachary Willis, Ben Wodskou and George Wynne.

Several of those youngsters had progressed close to first-team involvement during the previous campaign. Both Isichei and Wynne were included in senior matchday squads at various stages of the season, although neither player ultimately made a competitive debut for Birmingham before their exits were confirmed.

Meanwhile, the club have exercised one-year extension clauses on a number of emerging players in order to maintain continuity within the development setup. Briar Bateman, Billy Burrell, Caleb Sanders, Alezandro Da Silva and Tyrese Warmington have all seen their contracts automatically extended until 2027.

The retained list marks the beginning of what is expected to be another busy summer at Birmingham as the club continue reshaping the squad under Davies. With experienced players departing, loan stars returning to their parent clubs and several academy products moving on, Blues are preparing for significant changes ahead of the new Championship season.

At the same time, the decisions to retain and reward a number of younger talents demonstrates the club’s intention to balance immediate first-team ambitions with long-term development plans. Birmingham’s recruitment strategy over the coming months is likely to focus on adding quality and depth while also maintaining a pathway for emerging players within the academy system.

The departures, contract offers and loan conclusions represent the latest stage of Birmingham’s ongoing rebuild as the club looks to position itself strongly for the challenges of the 2026/27 campaign.