McLeish: Traore loan deal was too good to turn down

Feb 11 2009 by Andy Walker, Birmingham Mail

‘‘I spoke to Harry Redknapp and he recommended him as did one or two others.

“Djimi Traore wasn’t a player that I actively sought, he was given to us and we have got nothing to lose. It was agreed before the news about Tony Adams and with him going on Monday we thought that Portsmouth might have not let anyone go but the deal still went ahead.

“With some players close to their yellow card limit we can’t afford to lose people, Djimi was something we could do within the budget, it was almost like a present.”

McLeish remains hopeful of boosting the all-important right-side of his defence, although the likelihood of Doncaster defender Matt Mills arriving appears to have faded after Rovers’ chairman John Ryan yesterday dismissed talk of a loan move as ‘nonsense’.

“I’m looking at the other two positions,” added McLeish. “A right-sided centre-back of the quality we want are few and far between. Some doors have shut but there are still one or two possibilities.”