Birmingham City coach Gianfranco Zola has explained the reasoning behind the Club's decision not to offer Koby Arthur a new contract.

It was announced that the 21-year old, along with Noe Baba and Josh Tibbetts, will be allowed to leave the Club at the end of the season when his contract expires.

The Ghanaian attacker has been at Blues for nearly five years after he was spotted playing for youth side Woodford United back in 2012.

“He is one of those players who has been doing better but we believe that it is going to be difficult to be in our team,” explained Gianfranco Zola.

“We prefer that he goes and finds a better place where he can play.

“Sometimes it happens even with good players, [Omar] Bogle, he was here he was released and then he went to a lower league, he has done very well then he came back to the same league.

“We think that it is better for the players to give them the possibility to find a better environment where he can have a little bit more space.

“We believe that he won't have the space necessary to improve [here] as simple as that.”

After making his senior debut in April 2013, Arthur went on to make 16 First Team appearances.

However, his last selection came in the League Cup in August 2015 and most recently he has had two loan spells at Cheltenham Town.

He returned to Blues from the Robins after a six-month loan in January, which yielded seven appearances.