Tom Brady 'involved in deal' as MLS star set for Birmingham City switch

Tom Weber

• 1 Jan 2026 11:02 CST
• 3 min read

News

Philadelphia Union star Kai Wagner is set to join Birmingham City after the intervention of Tom Brady, according to a report.

The Blues' ambition under star-studded ownership is to return to the Premier League within short order, but achieving back-to-back promotions like Ipswich Town in 2024 currently looks a tall task.

Birmingham City are on a disappointing run of form and currently sit 15th in the Championship, seven points off Watford in the final play-off position. As a result, manager Chris Davies is under pressure, and January reinforcements are targeted.

According to Jose Roberto Nunez, and confirmed by Sky Germany and The Athletic, City are set to sign Philadelphia Union left-back Kai Wagner, who has been one of the standout performers in Major League Soccer in recent years.

The German has enjoyed great success with the Union and has been linked with a transfer for a few years. Earlier this winter, there were tentative links with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, but they ultimately opted to sign former Real Madrid, Man Utd and Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon.

Wagner to join Birmingham City

The Blues will sign Wagner by triggering his €2.3 million release clause, with reporter Florian Plettenberg revealing that City minority owner and advisor Tom Brady is "involved in the deal."

The 28-year-old has already arrived in England to complete his switch. He made a whopping 253 appearances for the Union across all competitions and provided an impressive 54 assists. He also scored 10 goals from his left-back position.

The marauding full-back, who only played lower league football in his native Germany, won the Supporters' Shield, the title for the best regular season record, twice in his seven years with the Union, who achieved this success despite being one of the lowest spending teams in MLS.

Wagner was included in MLS's Best XI in two of the past four seasons and is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he notched 10 assists and scored two goals. He is one of the greatest players in Union history and one of the best full-backs MLS has seen.

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