Exclusive: David Sullivan - I want the 'right' players at Birmingham City

Jun 17 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

DAVID Sullivan today stressed that the Blues hierarchy were working harder than they ever have done in 16 years at the club to bring the right type of players in for next season.

Sullivan said that they still had ‘eight or nine’ in the reckoning, with negotiations actively ‘ongoing’ with up to four.

New record signing Christian Benitez is expected in Birmingham later this week to undergo a medical and finalise his transfer from Santos Laguna, the chairman added.

Sullivan refused to name names of the players on the current hit list, but he said: “Since last season finished, it’s been non-stop.

“We’re working all hours of the day, seven days a week.

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“During the last four weeks or so, I’ve never worked as hard as I have done since I’ve been in football.

“Negotiations have been incredibly stressful. Just when you think you’ve got someone, it changes. Another club might come in and hijack it, like Wolves did with the Coventry City player (Scott Dann) – and we then had to hijack it back.

“The demands of clubs, and players and agents – especially those out of contract or free – are ridiculous.

“But if you keep saying ‘no’, then you don’t have a team. So what do you do?”

Sullivan added: “We’re trying to put together a better team than the one that got us promotion. We want to give ourselves the best chance of a) survival next season and b) maybe a lot better. That’s the aim.”

Blues have so far brought in Benitez for an initial £6.2 million, Dann for £3.5 million down and Geovanny Espinoza for about £300,000. Stephen Carr was given a permanent contract.