David Sullivan promises new Birmingham City manager money to spend

Nov 28 2007 By Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

ALEX McLeish will have money to spend in January's transfer window, David Sullivan has insisted.

About £4million was to be made available to Steve Bruce, although Sullivan said much depends on what McLeish believes is needed, and he stressed the New Year wasn't the ideal time to buy.

"You don't always get the good ones available in January, you don't always get particularly great players available," he said.

"Overall, we've done OK before in January, especially in that first season in the Premier League, but that was four, five years ago now.

"Are those players around and gettable still? Dugarry and Upson were outstanding and made a huge difference. Clemence did a good job and was a great servant to the club. Clapham did all right.

"We will just have to see what the manager's thoughts are and come up with the solutions."

Two of the early decisions on McLeish's agenda will concern Johan Djourou, whose loan from Arsenal is up at the end of December, and Wilson Palacios, as Blues have a deal in place in the same month to buy him permanently.