EXCLUSIVE: Lee Bowyer eyes Birmingham swoop for free-agent Reading defender

Reading Under-23s defender Terell Thomas is attracting the interest of Birmingham City, as well as a number of top League One clubs, we can reveal.

Blues are keeping tabs on the player, we understand, while some promotion-pushing sides in the division below also have an interest. The 26-year-old former Arsenal player is currently nearing the end of a six-month contract, with his time ending at the Madejski Stadium in the summer.

Thomas was brought through the Gunners’ academy before moving to Charlton Athletic in 2014. Indeed, it was at The Valley that Thomas signed his first professional contract with the Addicks at 19-years-old.

The towering centre-back spent time at Woking before moving to Wigan Athletic, Sutton United, and then AFC Wimbledon in 2018. A season after which, in the 2019/20 campaign, Dons fans voted him as their Player of the Season. He made 90 appearances for the London club over three seasons, helping them cement their place as a League One outfit.

Thomas had before been linked to Championship giants Blackburn Rovers during this period but nothing came to fruition. Furthermore, Barnsley and Sunderland were also keen on the player, according to the Daily Mail.

The London-born player spent time at Crewe Alexandra this season before joining Reading’s second side. There, his performances are  impressing Blues, while other sides in England’s third tier are also keen on Terell Thomas.

Bowyer grateful for Birmingham respite

Birmingham are currently 19th in the Championship after an indifferent campaign. Lee Bowyer’s side have 14 points between them and the drop zone, so planning for next season can shortly begin.

The Midlands club have been hampered by a huge number of injuries this season. As such, Bowyer sees the current break as a welcome opportunity to rest some legs.

“It will give us an opportunity to maybe get Lyle [Taylor] back for the next game,” the head coach said via Birmingham Live. “I know a couple of our lads are going away on international duty. But it has been relentless. And we’ve a lot of players playing a lot of minutes back to back with no days rest – hardly anything.

“It will give us an opportunity to let them recharge their batteries a little bit because it has been tough. That’s partly the reason why we have had as many injuries as we have.

“You are just asking Robbo [Marc Roberts], Max [Maxime Colin] – two examples, you have asked them to go, go, go, play every minute of every game, Saturday-Tuesday/Wednesday-Saturday.”

READ MORE: Palace, Everton, Wolves chase Blues teenager as Bowyer braces himself for big offers