Birmingham City need to raise bid for Coventry City star

Jun 5 2009 By Andy Walker

Birmingham City are set to have a cash plus Gary McSheffrey bid for centre-back Scott Dann rejected by Coventry City.

The exact fee is not known but Blues are hoping that the inclusion of former Sky Blues favourite McSheffrey in the deal would be enough to tempt Cov to let go of their highly-rated captain for a lower price tag.

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However the formal approach, which was made yesterday morning, is set to be rebuffed by their West Midlands neighbours as they are only prepared to settle for minimum cash offer of around £4 million.

Alex McLeish is eager to bolster his threadbare backline with a combination of experience and youth and Dann, 22, is viewed as a perfect candidate.

The England Under-21 international has steadily climbed up the football ladder with Walsall and Coventry and Premier League football is seen as the next natural step for the Liverpudlian.

McSheffrey, 26, is out-of-favour at St Andrew’s and has long been linked with a return to his hometown club, where he was idolised by the Sky Blues faithful having come through the ranks to make his first-team debut as a 16-year-old.

David Sullivan has already admitted that Blues are currently chasing six centre-halves.