Tommy Doyle looks all set to return to Wolves this summer, with his loan spell at Birmingham City drifting into the background rather than building towards anything concrete.
What began as a move with a clear pathway has instead stalled, leaving his immediate future far less defined than it once appeared.
Tommy Doyle has been on loan with Blues since the start of the season, and Birmingham agreed a clause with Wolves to sign Doyle permanently if they got promoted.
But that’s now looking very unlikely, and it points to a return to Molineux for Doyle.
Tommy Doyle’s return to Wolves ‘inevitable’ as Birmingham promotion push collapses
Birmingham sit 11th in the Championship on 53 points, 10 adrift of the play-off places.
With just seven games left to play, sneaking into the top six will be a very tall order, so the chances of Birmingham automatically buying Doyle via that clause are slim.
Interestingly, Doyle’s role has also narrowed as the season has progressed, with the midfielder starting just one of Birmingham’s last 10 league matches.
The Birmingham Mail have reported on Doyle’s situation, and have stated that it is ‘inevitable’ that Doyle returns to Wolves.
And potentially, they’re already thinking about how he fits into the team for next season, with checks having been made on Doyle.
Indeed, Wolves’ assistant head coach Paul Trollope is said to have watched Doyle on his last start against Middlesbrough earlier this month.
Doyle could be brilliant for Wolves in the Championship
Wolves are practically certain to be playing Championship football next season, despite a recent upturn in the Premier League.
Potentially, having Doyle around the squad for next season would be a very good thing.
| Tommy Doyle Championship appearances by club |
| Cardiff City – 19 |
| Sheffield United – 33 |
| Birmingham City – 34 |
| Total – 86 |
He has built his experience in the second tier across spells with Sheffield United, Cardiff City and Birmingham and Doyle has now made close to 100 appearances in the division, giving him a defined track record at that level.
There will be an exodus of players at Wolves this summer, with Joao Gomes and Andre likely to be the first two to leave.
It will be such an important summer as Wolves look to rebuild, but Doyle’s return will be very useful, and also help the club to save money.
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