Birmingham offer £5m for Butt

BIRMINGHAM manager Steve Bruce has reportedly offered £5.5 million for want-away Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt.

Bruce has been given the green light to try and complete a £10 million-plus spending spree before the transfer window closes.

He wants to tie up a permanent deal with Chelsea for the £5million-rated striker Mikael Forssell who is on loan until the end of the season.

But he has also confirmed his interest in Blackburn defender Martin Taylor valued at around £2million while sources close to Birmingham and Manchester United have indicated that a stg£5million bid for Nicky Butt has been tabled.

Publicly Bruce is adopting his usual stance of making little comment on possible transfer targets.

"It would be nice to bring a defender, midfielder and striker into the club to cover all areas. That's what we are looking at," he said.