Blues prospect Zaid Betteka has left the club.
The 19-year-old wide attacker is understood to be on trial at Swindon Town after a parting of the ways at St. Andrew’s.
Betteka also spent a spell training with West Bromwich Albion’s under-21s this pre-season.
Betteka’s mercurial talents saw him elevated to Chris Davies’ first team in January 2025, when he made his professional debut as a substitute against Lincoln City in the third round of the FA Cup.
And last season he was again the only Academy product to get game-time in the senior ranks when he came on against Leeds United in the FA Cup fourth round in January.
But even though he still had a year left on his contract, his time at Blues has come to a shock end.
Davies took three under-21s outfield players on the pre-season tour to Portugal but Betteka was not among them, as might have been reasonably expected. He did not figure in the first pre-season friendly on these shores, at Solihull Moors.
And he was not involved for the under-21s in their first public friendly at Rushall Olympic.
Instead, tellingly on the next day, Betteka starred in a special charity match, The Unity Cup, that pitted players of Somali heritage against those of Pakistani lineage.
Betteka scored the winning goal for Somalia in Willenhall.
Last weekend, when Blues had their split squad friendlies at Northampton Town and Crewe Alexandra – made up of a mix of first team and 26 under-21s or scholars – Betteka was conspicuous by his absence and chatter among supporters as to his whereabouts gained significant traction.
Albion were first alerted to his availability and took him in to train with their under-21s but they opted not to progress matters further.
And it has been reported by The Moonraker that he is to appear for Swindon in their friendly against Forest Green Rovers today, as one of a batch of trialists.
Betteka also had a short period training with Peterborough United before the end of last season.
Betteka, who grew up in Highgate, joined Blues at under-11s level.
He was fast-tracked into the under-21s during Steve Spooner’s time before gaining his debut as a second-half substitute in the FA Cup.
Betteka, who was born in Birmingham to an Algerian father and Somali mother, made his debut for Algeria under-20s last summer.
