BLUES GIVE UP ON PAV

McLeish will instead turn his attention to bringing in a "trophy loan signing" after Spurs rejected Blues' offers - believed to be around £10million - for the Russia frontman.

McLeish said after Blues' 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Saturday: "It looks like the deal is dead in the water for Pavlyuchenko. It looks like we are not going to get the trophy signing we thought we might. But I think we have offered enough."

He added: "We may now try and get a trophy signing on loan with a view to a permanent deal in the summer. We are in a position where we don't need to break the bank with Carson Yeung's money."

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp meanwhile admits his attempts to sign keeper Asmir Begovic from Portsmouth have hit a snag.

Redknapp said: "There is a big problem in terms of the goalkeeper and I think Stoke are in there. I think he has changed his mind.

"Maybe Stoke have offered him the chance to be the number one there. It looks like he has done an about turn."

In terms of the match, Redknapp was furious after seeing his side concede a last-gasp equaliser to Liam Ridgewell after Jermain Defoe's 17th goal of the season had put the visitors ahead.

Redknapp said: "We deserved to win and the goal we gave away was horrendous. We defended poorly.

"Until we went ahead, Birmingham were never in the game but then we sat off them, invited them onto us and that was the problem."