Birmingham City transfer latest: Alex McLeish has his eye on Michel

Aug 3 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

BLUES’ target Michel could just be the right sort of player to strengthen the midfield, Andy Watson has insisted.

Watson, Blues’ joint first-team coach, scouted the Spanish star for Sporting Gijon last Wednesday in their match against La Gimnastica.

And Watson’s report was glowing enough that Alex McLeish ducked out of Blues’ match against Cheltenham Town yesterday to watch the 23-year-old for himself.

Michel helped Gijon win a three-team tournament, his side beating hosts Portugalete (2-0) and Athletic Bilbao (1-0).

McLeish’s visit was the talk of the competition, and in Spain speculation is rife that Michel will be on his way to St Andrew’s.

However, Gijon president Manuel Vega has stressed that they will hold out for what they believe is his full worth, saying: “Michel’s exit will only be possible if an offer arrives for his value.”

Fees ranging from £3 million to £5 million have been bandied about.

“The player did very well in the game I saw, hence the reason for Alex going out as well, and obviously Paul Montgomery, our chief scout, had flagged him up for us some time ago,” Watson told the Birmingham Mail.

“The next stage now will be for Alex to say ‘we believe he’s a good player’ and then can he try and persuade the board to do something if he wants it to happen?

“He’s on record saying that he believes we need another midfield player and we could do with that middle-to-front type of player.”

Outlining Michel’s qualities, Watson said: “He’s in that kind of bracket where he’s 23, in Spain he can take the ball, receive the ball with his back to play, he can get into forward areas and carry it.