Birmingham chief Pannu: McLeish will have healthy summer transfer budget

Birmingham City chief Peter Pannu says manager Alex McLeish will have a healthy summer transfer kitty.

Pannu, Blues vice-chairman executive and finance, said that whilst the club couldn’t go crazy, McLeish wouldn’t be left high and dry.

“Yesterday, I was almost three hours with Alex, his assistant coaches and the chief executive at Wast Hills,” Pannu told the Birmingham Mail.

“Now, if we were not talking seriously about the spending, the strengthening of the team as well as improving the facilities, then I would have been wasting those three hours of my time. People are aware of the accounts, the figures from last season speak for themselves.

“They are also aware that Carson Yeung put in over £7 million to keep things flowing after taking over the club.

“Discussions are on-going with Alex and, as far as I’m concerned, I don’t feel constrained by anyone from Hong Kong. Even though I am not constrained, I won’t allow money to be spent frivolously, which Alex understands, and I’m sure our supporters do as well.

“We are not going to spend crazy amounts, like Manchester City say. That is not going to happen - and we will not be alone in that. But we do appreciate that there is a need to improve our team, our squad, to build on what has been a successful season so far.”