Birmingham City are reported to be interested in signing Djurgardens striker Kristian Lien as they assess January options. The 25-year-old Norwegian has scored 18 goals in 26 games for the Swedish side since joining in January.

Interest in the forward is understood to be widespread, with Wrexham also monitoring the situation. Both clubs are aiming for the Championship play-offs and could be active when the transfer window reopens. Birmingham's current position of 10th in the standings with 11 points from eight games is a platform they will look to strengthen from in the coming months, starting with their next fixture against Preston North End. The team's recent form, which reads one win, three draws and one loss from the last five outings, shows the need for additional firepower as they have averaged 1.4 goal minutes per game this season.

Player profile

Kristian Lien stands 6ft 2in tall and has contributed 23 goals and assists in his 26 appearances for Djurgardens. Sixteen of those goals came in 22 Allsvenskan matches, with his underlying expected goals data said to match his impressive output. He also provided five assists and took 58 shots, 32 of which were on target.

Career path

His career began at Flekkefjord academy in Norway before a move to Mjondalen IF, where he scored 14 goals in 27 games. A transfer to FC Groningen in the Netherlands followed, yielding one goal in 16 appearances. After two loan spells back to Norway, the second a successful stint with HamKam where he scored 10 goals in 28 games, he secured his move to Djurgardens at the start of this year.

Contract and competition

Lien is under contract with the Swedish club until 2029, and his transfer value is reported to be between £3.8m and £5.1m. Interest is not limited to England, with Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach and unnamed Scottish clubs also credited with an interest in the striker. Birmingham will face competition from these clubs as they look to bolster their attacking stats ahead of a key period in the Championship season.

Further reading: The72 - Football League News