Lee Bowyer on verge of Birmingham City switch
Jan 7 2009 By Andrew Walker
an internet petition demanding that Bowyer was not signed because of concerns about his character.
That, in turn, sparked another outcry and petition from those in favour of Bowyer’s transfer from Newcastle United.
In the end, despite rounds of talks with the then Blues boss, Bowyer rejected the move and went to Charlton and Bruce took Nicky Butt on a season-long loan from Newcastle instead.
However, now that three years has passed, Bowyer’s arrival this time round is unlikely to trigger the same outcry that jeopardised his planned move in 2005.
Bowyer has started five games and made two substitute appearances for West Ham this season but he isn’t in Gianfranco Zola’s future plans.
Meanwhile, as Scotsman Boyd, 25, looks set to complete the finer details of a five-year contract and a reunion with the manager who originally brought him to Ibrox before capping him at international level, McLeish will continue with his shake-up.
The next priority is to boost Blues’ defensive ranks and the wheels are already in motion for an unnamed centre-half from the Premier League who will arrive at St Andrew’s on a loan deal.
While McLeish was always looking to add some pace and creativity to his flanks, the Blues boss is also eager to strengthen his back line in a bid to aid his push for an immediate return to the Premier League.
The agent of another initial Blues target, Gaston Sangoy, confirmed contact had been made from the St Andrew’s outfit.
The Argentinian striker’s representative, Christian Otero, told the Birmingham Mail yesterday that Blues had enquired about his client but they were one of several English and European clubs to express an interest in the goal-getter, who is playing in Cyprus for Apollon Limassol.
However, now that McLeish looks set to bag his compatriot Boyd, who has scored an incredible 91 goals in three season for Rangers, any progress on a deal for Sangoy, 24, is likely to be dead in the water.
McLeish brought Boyd, the SPL’s current top scorer by a comfortable margin, to the blue side of Glasgow from Kilmarnock in January 2006 in a £400,000 deal.
During the summer Rangers rejected a £2.5million bid from Blues’ Championship rivals Cardiff City for Boyd, who has previously been described as an ‘enigma’ by his current boss Walter Smith.
Elsewhere, Blues were also yesterday linked with another loan move for a winger, this time for Fulham’s Algeria international Hameur Bouazza.
Bouazza, who is on-loan at Charlton from the Cottagers, would have caught McLeish’s eye back in November when he scored a stunning first-half goal during the Addicks’ 3-2 at St Andrew’s.
