Birmingham Pull Out of Samaras Deal

The Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has pulled the plug on a deal for the Manchester City striker Georgios Samaras. Blues had agreed a £2.5m fee with City for the Greek international who has had only limited opportunities - two league starts this season - under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

But McLeish has decided to concentrate on trying to strengthen other areas of his team after signing James McFadden from Everton and the Argentinian forward Mauro Zarate on loan from Al Sadd.

"Time has just run on with the Samaras one," said McLeish. "I had identified the big guy as a target five or six weeks ago and if I could have done it then, it would have been different. But things have dragged on and other people became available. McFadden became available, Zarate was an unexpected opportunity, therefore it created a problem with the Samaras one. So it's unlikely."

McLeish remains keen to strengthen his defence and midfield, with the Aston Villa center-half Gary Cahill, who impressed in a loan spell with Sheffield United this season, still a target.

"We have just got to watch this space with that one," said McLeish, who has already signed David Murphy - a left-back - from Hibernian in this transfer window. "In the meantime, I have to look at other options."