Birmingham City are set to target former Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka as their new boss, according to a report from the Birmingham Mail.
The Blues are in the market for a new manager after Harry Redknapp was sacked, just eight games into the season. Redknapp became the first managerial casualty in the Championship this season. They sit second from bottom in the Championship league table, losing six of their opening eight games. After spending around £17.65m (transfermarkt), the Birmingham board deemed the start to the season as not good enough, leaving them in the market for a new manager.
The report states that Birmingham are lining up Karanka as the man to improve the clubs fortunes. He has been out of a job since March, after being sacked by Middlesbrough with the club on the verge of being relegated back to the Championship.
Despite this, Karanka enjoyed a fruitful spell on Teeside. He took charge of 169 games, winning 80. In his first full season at the club, Karanka led them to the Championship play-off final, only to be defeated 2-0 by Norwich City. In his next season, they managed to go one better. He guided them to automatic promotion to the Premier League, the first time Boro had been in the top flight since 2009.
Over the summer, Karanka was heavily linked with the managerial reigns at Leeds United, but a move failed to materialise. He also turned down the role to become the manager at Spanish La Liga side Alavés, with the 44-year-old keen on managing back in England.
