Bruce Closes on Wigan Return With Backing of Birmingham

Steve Bruce is poised for a remarkable return to Wigan Athletic after Birmingham City last night gave the Latics' chairman, Dave Whelan, permission to approach their manager of six years.

Birmingham's co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, are loth to lose Bruce, whom Sullivan described as the "best manager in the club's history" when the intended new owner, Carson Yeung, prevented the 46-year-old from signing a contract extension agreed in May. Mindful of the insecurity that now surrounds Bruce, however, and the lucrative contract on offer from Wigan, the St Andrew's hierarchy have decided not to stand in his way - as they did when Bolton made an approach this season - provided compensation demands are met.

Those should not dissuade Whelan from enticing Bruce back to a club he managed for eight games in 2001. The Wigan chairman was prepared to pay the former manager Paul Jewell £50,000 a week, plus a substantial bonus for keeping the struggling club in the Premier League. Jewell would be a contender to replace Bruce at Birmingham should the vacancy arise. Whelan said yesterday: "Steve Bruce has worked with me before - he was with me at Wigan five or six years ago for two months and did a super job then."

The Midlands club initially rejected Wigan's request for permission to speak to Bruce, only to change their stance when the manager was tempted by the interest. A substantial release clause, inserted into the five-year contract he agreed in the wake of interest from Newcastle in 2004, also encouraged the change of heart.

Such was the speed of Wigan's move that personal terms are believed to have been agreed in principle, although the deal may yet by complicated by pledges from Yeung that he wants Bruce to stay.

Whelan made his move after learning of the latest uncertainty surrounding the Hong Kong businessman's proposed takeover. Since the last meeting after the 3-2 win over Wigan 19 days ago, when Bruce was told his future was secure, little has been heard from Yeung and attempts to contact him have met with no reply. That has fueled suspicion that he is struggling to raise the capital and prompted Gold to admit on Tuesday that "I have gone from 90% sure that the sale would go through to about 75%".