McLeish planning summer improvements

(GSM) – Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is planning wise transfer moves for the summer to improve his squad. McLeish, who has been at the club for two and a half years, has opened talks of a new contract at St Andrew’s.

The Scot has helped to establish City in the top 10 of the Premier League during the current campaign after guiding the team to promotion last season.

McLeish said, “We have started negotiations regarding a new contract. I have met (chairman) Carson Yeung and (vice chairman) Peter Pannu.

“They gave me some initial figures. I’ll get my advisors now to meet with them and will let them thrash it out.”

McLeish is adamant he will spend the money provided by the board in the summer. However, he intends to spend cautiously and wisely.

He said, “We need to improve again and enhance the squad and there will be money to spend but there has got to be prudence.

“I said during the January transfer window that I felt I had an obligation, a duty, to make sure that Birmingham go forward with a little bit of stability.

“There was an opportunity to purchase £10million players and pay them £100,000 a week but I had sleepless nights with that one.

“The owners agreed that wasn’t the way to go.”