Birmingham sign Ecuador star Benitez

Birmingham have agreed a deal to bring exciting young Ecuador striker Christian Benitez to the Premier League.

The newly-promoted club announced on Wednesday that they have agreed a fee with Benitez’s Mexican club Santos Laguna and finalised personal terms with the 23-year-old, who will travel to England next week for a medical.

Birmingham would not disclose how much they have agreed to pay for the striker but the fee is reported to be in the region of nine million pounds, which would surpass the previous club record of 6.25 million paid for Emile Heskey in 2004.

Benitez – son of Ecuador’s all-time leading goalscorer, Ermen – played for his country at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany and has scored 31 goals in 58 games in Mexico’s Primera Division over the last two campaigns.

He recently underwent surgery on a shoulder injury.