Baek Seung-ho has joined the club.
“Birmingham City are delighted to announce the signing of Seung-Ho Baek,” Birmingham City confirmed on the club’s website on Tuesday.
Seung Ho Baek is a former Barcelona youth player with excellent ball skills and passing ability. He has the best of both worlds, having played in several positions, and is a versatile type of player who started out as an undefined player, but since his professional debut has established himself as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder, and a two-way midfielder.
He has also established himself as a fully-fledged deep-lying playmaker since arriving in the K League from Europe. His excellent fundamentals allow him to move the ball at a high level, and his ability to orchestrate the entire game has made him a very important player for Jeonbuk Hyundai.
Birmingham City brought in American hedge fund manager Tom Wagner in the summer, but at the moment, they can’t afford to splash out on a new half of the squad as Tony Mowbray would like.
Former manager Wayne Rooney emphasized the need to bring in new players before he was sacked earlier this month, but Birmingham City still have to stay within the EFL’s revenue and sustainability parameters, so they need to spend their money wisely.
Having already brought in Andre Dozell on loan until the end of the season from Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers, Birmingham City needed to add more midfield options as the future of in-form Jordan James was uncertain and offers from Atalanta kept coming in.
After signing Japan international Koji Miyoshi on a free transfer in the summer, Birmingham City will now look to bolster their midfield depth with Baek Seung-ho. Baek Seung-ho has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Birmingham City.
Birmingham City’s Championship rivals Sunderland had also been targeting the midfielder, but Birmingham City prevailed and signed him. Mowbray had previously refused to confirm that Baek Seung Ho would be Birmingham City’s second signing in the January transfer window, but admitted that he was a player of interest.
In an interview with BluesTV, Baek Seung-ho spoke about his move to Birmingham City. He said: “I’m really, really happy to be a part of this club and this team. I’m really excited. Ever since I started watching soccer as a kid, one of my dreams was to come to England and play soccer. When I heard that Birmingham were interested in me, I was really happy.”
“I’ve known the club since I was a kid, so after meeting the manager and the board, I decided to come here,” he added.
Baek was also interviewed upon his arrival. He talked about his experience in Europe and the lessons he learned from playing for the national team at the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup. “It was a really important experience because it’s a different style of soccer. In Spain, I learned a lot tactically, how to move, how to get along with my teammates, and how to relate to the team,” he said.
“It was a little more physically demanding in Germany, but I learned a lot in both countries. It was a really good experience. Every player dreams of going to the World Cup, and for me it was like a dream come true. It’s the best experience you can get as a player.”
Training with his new teammates for the first time, Baek also emphasized the value of the conversations he had with Birmingham City manager Tony Mowbray. “He told me what he thinks about me and my style, how he plans to use me on the pitch, and his plans for the future, and everything was really good,” he said.
He concluded, “I’ve been to many countries, but one of the most important things for me is the relationship with the coach. I felt really comfortable talking to him, and that’s what motivated me to come here. That was the biggest reason why I came here.”
Baek Seung-ho will wear the number 13 shirt until June 2026.