Coca-Cola Divisions: Birmingham

Birmingham say they are not trying to revive a deal for Henrik Larsson.
The 32-year-old Sweden star, available on a free transfer after leaving Celtic, was offered a lucrative deal by Blues in January but refused to commit.

Co-owner David Sullivan insists the club have not renewed their interest in the striker, saying: "We've always thought he'd be going to Spain.

Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce says that he will do his best to persuade Jesper Gronkjaer to sign for the club and reject a move to Spain. Blues have agreed on a fee with Chelsea for the Denmark international, but the player has yet to agree to a switch to St Andrews.

Bruce says that he is hopeful of landing the former Ajax man but knows that there is interest from Spain.

The former Manchester United defender says that in the end it looks like it will be a straight choice for Gronkjaer between The Premiership and La Liga.

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce has agreed a new five-year contract which will keep him at St Andrews until summer 2009, ending speculation linking him with hometown club Newcastle.

Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce has confirmed for the first time his interest in Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot.

The full back is available on a free transfer, with his contract at Stamford Bridge due to expire.

Melchiot is attracting the interest of a host of teams and he has claimed that up to 12 clubs have expressed an interest in him.

Bruce is in the market for a new right-sided defender and had been linked with a move for Danny Mills.

The move for Mills has stalled and Bruce has switched his attentions to former Ajax star Melchiot.

Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer is set to snub Premiership rivals Birmingham in favour of Sevilla.

The Denmark international is on his way out of Stamford Bridge as new manager Jose Mourinho looks to re-shape a squad top-heavy in numbers.

Birmingham had agreed a "substantial fee" to take the player to St Andrews.

However, Gronkjaer, who played for his country at Euro 2004, appears set on a move to the continent.

Birmingham City co-owner David Sullivan is confident Blues will complete the signing of Jesper Gronkjaer and his former Chelsea team-mate Mario Melchiot.

Sullivan claims Birmingham have "an 80% chance" of landing winger Gronkjaer and right-back Melchiot by the end of the week.

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce has been tracking Gronkjaer all through the summer and wants to add him to newcomers Emile Heskey, Muzzy Izzet and Julian Gray.

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce has made former Coventry manager Eric Black his new first-team coach.

The ex-Motherwell boss, 40, takes over from Mark Bowen, who left St Andrews after a row over a new contract.

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce completed his fourth summer signing with former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot joining the club on a Bosman free transfer.

The 27-year-old right-back joins Emile Heskey, Muzzy Izzet and Julian Gray in moving to St Andrews since the end of last season.

Bruce has been tracking the services of Dutch international Melchiot for several months and a right-back has been a priority for the Birmingham boss.

Denmark winger Jesper Gronkjaer has joined Birmingham from Chelsea for 2.2million.

Former Ajax star Gronkjaer has signed a two-year deal with a year option after turning down approaches from the Primera Liga's Sevilla.

The 26-year-old told the official Birmingham website, www.blues.co.uk: "I have been really impressed by Steve Bruce and his new structure at Birmingham and I am really looking forward to being featured in his plans."

Steve Bruce has revealed he is finally set to sign a new five-year deal this week that will tie him to Birmingham until the summer of 2009.

Bruce only signed a five-year contract last summer, but Birmingham's owners have been keen to improve Bruce's deal amid continuing speculation that he will one day be targeted by Newcastle and Manchester United.

Robbie Savage is looking to see out his career with Birmingham City after finally pledging his future to the Blues.

A verbal agreement made with manager Steve Bruce eight weeks ago will now be followed up on Friday when Savage signs a new four-year contract, with the final season optional.

The situation came to a head when boyhood heroes Everton attempted to lure Savage away from St Andrews, hoping to take advantage of the apparent stall between City and the midfielder.

Wow! For such a small club they've got a pretty good squad going this season, I think they could be the other surprise package along with Boro as long as they can get Heskey to not fall on his a$$ every 5 seconds.

Yeah Steve Bruce has quitely been assembling a good squad together. Maybe not title contenders but they should finish top half no prob. They signed Lazaridis to a new deal today and they got a bargain in him when they signed him from West Ham in 1999. I think he is only 31 and they gave him a new 2 year deal.

Birmingham midfielder David Dunn will find out later today if he will miss the start of the new Barclays Premiership season with a hamstring injury. Dunn, who missed half of last season with a similar problem, faces a scan to determine if he will require further treatment.

Dunn limped off after 10 minutes of Wednesday night's 1-0 pre-season win over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough but it is not yet clear if the injury is a recurrence of last season's problem or a new injury. Manager Steve Bruce is waiting to see if he will be without the former Blackburn player for the opening fixture of the season at Portsmouth on August 14.

Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce is hoping to complete the signing of former Tottenham midfielder Darren Anderton in the next 48 hours and insisted: "It is a gamble well worth taking."

Anderton was dubbed 'Sicknote' after being struck down by a series of injuries during his lengthy career at White Hart Lane.

But Bruce points out that the one-time England international has played more than 400 games during his career and believes he deserves to be given the chance to make his mark at St Andrews.

Birmingham winger Stan Lazaridis has signed a two-year contract which will keep him at St Andrews until 2006.

The 32-year-old had 12 months left of his previous deal and had been attracting interest from several other clubs.

But the Australia international had always stated his preference to remain at the Blues whom he joined five years ago from West Ham.