Upson agrees Blues move

Birmingham have finally secured the signature of Arsenal defender Matthew Upson in a deal which could rise to £3m.

Upson – the subject of 11th-hour interest from Leeds – put pen to paper this lunch-time and has become Blues manager Steve Bruce’s sixth signing since the transfer window re-opened.

City had made an offer to Arsenal on New Year’s Day which was finally accepted - although Arsene Wenger would have liked the player to remain at Highbury – and now Upson has agreed to move to the Midlands.

Blues will announce details of the deal at a 3.30pm press conference today but it is understood the Gunners will receive an initial £1m which could rise to around £3m depending on appearances and City’s success.

Upson is desperate for regular first-team football and even went on loan to First Division Reading earlier this season, where he played a key part in their rise up the First Division table.

But the former England Under-21 centre-back knew that his chances of achieving that goal at Highbury were remote.

Bruce has been working overtime to strengthen a defence decimated by injuries to such an extent that all five of his central defenders were recently sidelined.

Upson’s arrival will also give Bruce the option of switching from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 system with his first-choice defenders Darren Purse and Kenny Cunningham now almost back to fitness.

Upson joins Piotr Swierczewski – who joined on loan from Marseille yesterday - Ferdinand Coly, Christophe Dugarry, Jamie Clapham and Stephen Clemence in moving to St Andrews in the past three weeks.

Upson moved to Arsenal from Luton five years ago and from an early juncture was hailed as an eventual successor to Tony Adams.

But his career was knocked off track by injuries and – even when fit – he has found himself down the pecking order during the current campaign.