Bruce keen to bring in defender

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce has confirmed his interest in signing Austrian international Paul Scharner when the transfer window reopens in January.

Bruce admitted that City are trying to negotiate a deal for the Brann Bergen player, who could cost the Midlands club around £2m (€2.9m).

The Blues boss is aware of the need to strengthen his defence, especially with uncertainty surrounding the future of skipper Kenny Cunningham.

The Republic of Ireland captain is in the final season of his current contract at St Andrews and, at 34, is unwilling to talk about his plans until Christmas time.

Bruce said: “We are definitely looking at Scharner. He is a fantastic player. We are trying to negotiate but, at the moment, that hasn’t been easy.

“With Kenny Cunningham out of contract in the summer – and he will make his own mind up about what he wants to do – we need to address that part of the team.

“I’m keen on bringing in a few players. I’m looking at two or three and hopefully we will be bringing players in during the transfer window.”

Scharner has previously publicly questioned whether Birmingham would be the right choice for him but Bruce has not been put off by those views.

The 25-year-old caught Bruce’s eye when playing in a central midfield role as Brann Bergen defeated Birmingham 4-0 in a pre-season friendly.

Injuries have since forced him to drop back into the heart of the defence and he has impressed in that role as well.