Birmingham City chairman David Gold is making a bid for full control at St Andrews.

The Mirror says Gold is ready to try and seize control at Birmingham - buying out takeover bidder Carson Yeung and naming Eric Black as his new manager.

Chairman Gold will try to do a deal with Asian investor Yeung to grab his 20 per cent stake and make himself the power at St Andrews again in a major coup.

Gold wants to conclude the business swiftly and prevent caretaker chief Black from following Steve Bruce as No.2 to Wigan.

Fellow director David Sullivan and Gold have clashed on whether to appoint a new big-name manager for their survival fight.

Sullivan and his contacts have sounded out potential managers including Harry Redknapp, Paul Jewell, Martin Jol and now Italian Marcello Lippi.

But Birmingham players and staff are convinced that Black will carry on if Gold pulls off a victory in his own power game - and an emergency board meeting brings both shock moves closer.