Wrexham & Birmingham City eye January moves for £5 million hitman to aid Premier League promotion push

Championship pair Wrexham and Birmingham City have reportedly put prolific Djurgarden striker Kristian Lien high on their January transfer wishlist.

The explosive 25-year-old has caught the attention of numerous sides on the continent this season after netting 19 goals in his 23 appearances for the Swedish top-tier side.

Lien only signed for Djurgarden in January this year for a fee of around £700k, but has seen his stock grow extortianately following his goalscoring exploits.

According to TEAMtalk, Wrexham and Birmingham City have already made their interest known as they look to further strengthen their squads during the January transfer window.

The pair have made indifferent starts to the 2026/27 season, with Phil Parkinson and Chris Davies' sides each winning just two of their opening eight league fixtures.

Still, given the entirely tight nature of the table, and the fact that six teams will feature in the Championship playoffs for the first time this season, both teams still harbour genuine ambitions of securing a place in the top eight come next May.

Lien would undoubtedly aid both clubs promotion ambitions, although it's understood significant interest elsewhere could spark a new year bidding war for the talented attacker.

Coventry City had reportedly shown an interest in the past, but their attentions have since switched to alternative targets since winning promotion to the Premier League whilst German pair Borussia Monchengladbach and SC Freiburg are also reportedly long-term admirers of the player.

The winter window officially opens for clubs in England -- including those in the Championship -- at 00:00 (GMT) on January 1, 2027, and slams shut at 23:00 (GMT) on Monday February 1, 2027.