Birmingham City defender Krystian Bielik has claimed that Blues are "too good" to be competing in League One.
Heavily financed by American owners, Birmingham are attempting to immediately bounce back from last season's relegation from the Championship.
There have been times when Chris Davies' side have been far from convincing, including in their most recent outing against Peterborough United last weekend.
The West Midlands outfit were trailing 2-0 by the 16-minute mark, putting their unbeaten record in the third tier under extreme threat.
However, as they have done on several occasions this season, Birmingham roared back to secure all three points, with Bielik himself completing the turnaround in the 66th minute.
As a result, Birmingham sit two points clear of second-placed Wrexham and already a massive five points ahead of the remainder of the chasing pack.
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"We will be a Championship team in six months"
The 2024-25 campaign may only be seven games old but Bielik is already predicting that Birmingham will be regarded as a Championship team in the next six months.
Speaking to BBC Radio WM, the Poland international said: "We're League One but I don't think there are any players in this team who are League One players," he said.
"All of them are at a higher level. In six months time we'll be a Championship team and a different animal.
"We stay humble and keep our feet on the ground and we don't want to choke on it. But the reality is we're too good for League One."
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Davies is likely to raise an eyebrow when reading Bielik's bullish claims, but it has been clear that Blues have spent vast amounts of money during the summer transfer window.
Funds between £20m and £25m are said to have been shelled out by the club's hierarchy, including an alleged £15m on striker Jay Stansfield.
Incredibly, as many as 17 players came through the arrival door at St Andrew's.
Darren Plant
