McLeish planning squad overhaul

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is set to reshape his squad in the summer with “significant” additions and “eight or nine players likely to leave” - according to the club’s chief executive Michael Dunford.

McLeish only managed to bring in playmaker Michel from Sporting Gijon and midfielder Craig Gardner from Aston Villa during the January transfer window.

But Dunford predicts the former Scotland boss will be busy with ins and outs from St Andrew’s when the window reopens in four months’ time.

He said: “I expect it to be quite a busy summer. We will gear ourselves up for what I’m sure will be significant transfer movement in the summer.

“There are also eight or nine players likely to be leaving the club which means from a numerical point of view, we need new players of quality to supplement the ones we have got as well.”

McLeish has already allowed central defender Martin Taylor and former skipper Damien Johnson to leave on free transfers to Watford and Plymouth respectively while wide player Gary McSheffrey has joined Leeds on loan.

Several players are out of contract in the summer, including current first-teamer regulars Liam Ridgewell and Sebastian Larsson plus Lee Carsley, Garry O’Connor, Stuart Parnaby, Franck Queudrue, Maik Taylor