Exit door isn’t open at Birmingham City says McLeish
ALEX McLeish has revealed that he hasn’t given a second thought to the prospect of predatory Premier League clubs coming for his best players in January.
The Blues boss said that when trading begins he wasn’t expecting to be opening the St Andrew’s exit door.
“It’s not something that we’ve even discussed,” he said. “We don’t feel that there’s any need to discuss it.
“We believe that we are going to go to the end of the season with the guys that are here.
“If we can add one or two to tweak things a wee bit, to improve things a wee bit, then we will do that as well. But we’ve no plans to let anybody go.
“I presume that my best players will be with us from now until the end of the season.”
McLeish has been busying himself looking at additions, and Jordi Lopez has been lined up, subject to a successful medical.
The 27-year-old Spanish schemer impressed McLeish in a private friendly against Sheffield United a fortnight ago, where he was positioned in central midfield.
Considered a good technical player who can see passes early and not a destroyer, Lopez left Real Mallorca and is a free agent.
A deal is in place for him to officially join on a short-term contract when the transfer window opens, with a view to a three-year deal.
Lopez earned a couple of appearances for Real Madrid in his early days, but made his name at Sevilla, helping them to the UEFA Cup.
McLeish also ran the rule over Chinese international midfielder Shao Jiayi, 28, in the victory over Cheltenham Town on Tuesday.
He caught the eye by scoring an absolute screamer from 30 yards.
He is with Energie Cottbus in Germany and has six months left on his contract.
In 2006, he moved from Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super
