Birmingham City: List of transfer targets shortens
Alex McLeish has invited Sammy Yu to accompany him and his staff on future scouting missions.
Big Eck said the vice-chairman football was welcome to assess transfer targets in person.
The Blues boss said although apparently flush with money to spend following Carson Yeung’s takeover, he would try to be as sensible as possible - and that’s where Yu could ‘share the risk’.
“We’ve always kept players in mind in the event that there would be money to spend. But there’s still parameters which we have to stay within and we can’t go beyond.
“I will still try and work as prudently as possible and not waste the club’s money.
“I have even suggested to Sammy to come and watch a game. If it’s to see somebody abroad he can come and we can share the risk factor and get his eyes looking at it as well as mine.
“We would like to think that the ones we pick out he would approve of as well.”
Yu said this week that their relationship was like that of ‘brothers’.
“We’ve not really done any business as of yet,” remarked McLeish. “Sammy and I have got to forge a close relationship. So far that’s working pretty well.
“We are looking at a lot of different players.
“There’s been a bit of a scatter gun effect for me and Sammy as well, some names coming in.
“Everybody are big pals of the new owners in terms of the agent world, and they all want to get their piece of the action.
“We now have to get a process of elimination and also a shortlist in terms of players we definitely want to bring to the club.
“We’re working hard on that. That’s not a two-day thing. It will take a wee bit of time before the January window opens.”
McLeish added: “I don’t want to talk about names. There’s been some bandied about this week, but they’re simply on a list and we have to go through that list and try and make a shortlist, but also find out as much as we can business-wise whether we are wasting our time or not.”
