Birmingham City might not be able to make it big as Roman Pavlyuchenko hopes fade

Mar 24 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

ALEX McLeish today admitted that a big money signing like Roman Pavlyuchenko could be beyond him this summer.

The specific stark warning over the Russian striker McLeish came close to landing in January reinforces the recent noises coming from St Andrew’s that Blues would not be going crazy in the transfer market.

Although Carson Yeung said, on taking over, that McLeish would get £20 million to £40 million to spend on fees and wages for team-building, as was pledged in January, the top end figure now looks highly unlikely.

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Blues met the asking price of £12 million for Pavlyuchenko during the winter transfer window, only for Spurs to then demand £15 million and the deal to collapse.

“We’d struggle at that level because it would kill most of my budget, especially when we need to sign about another five or six players,” said McLeish, responding to a question about whether he would go back in for Pavlyuchenko at the same kind of price.

Blues have 10 senior players out of contract in June, although the club hold options on many.

“If there’s players that leave - the players out of contract - then it’s freedom of contract and I don’t get any transfer money in for them.