Birmingham attempt £4m move for Barcelona's Alexander Hleb

Manager Alex McLeish has also made tentative inquiries into taking Arsenal's Armand Traore on loan, according to the Daily Mail.

The move comes after Barcelona midfielder Hleb rejected a move to Benfica, instead favouring a return to the Premier League.

Birmingham are hopeful of concluding a rumoured £400,000 deal for Spartak Moscow captain Martin Jiranek. The 31-year-old, who can play left-back and centre half, flew in on Monday for talks with the Midlands club.