Birmingham City promotion hero joins Championship rivals after free-transfer exit

League One title winner Ben Davies has completed a free transfer to newly-promoted Championship side Bolton Wanderers following the expiration of his Rangers contract.

The former Birmingham City loanee, who became a fan favourite during Blues’ record-breaking promotion campaign, has signed a two-year deal with Bolton after his spell in Scotland came to an end. Davies, 30, spent last season on loan at Oxford United but struggled for regular action, making just 11 appearances as the club suffered relegation to League One. His final start for Oxford came in January against Birmingham.

The defender was unable to recreate the momentum of an outstanding 2024/25 season at St Andrew’s, where he played a crucial role in Birmingham’s dominant League One title triumph. Forming a dependable central defensive partnership with captain Christoph Klarer, Davies featured 44 times as Blues smashed the EFL points record on their way to promotion.

Birmingham explored the possibility of bringing Davies back permanently last summer, but a move never materialised. Instead, the club strengthened their defensive options with the arrivals of Eiran Cashin and Jack Robinson.

Speaking after sealing his move to Bolton, Davies admitted the opportunity was too good to ignore.

“It feels brilliant to be here,” he said. “There was interest from other clubs, but once I knew Bolton wanted me, this was where I wanted to be. Returning to the Championship after such a strong season is exciting, and seeing the support the club gets was a huge attraction.”

Davies also believes his experience in the second tier can help Bolton both on and off the pitch, adding that positive talks with the manager convinced him the club’s ambitions aligned with his own.