Blues to offer Alex McLeish new deal

Birmingham are to offer an improved contract to manager Alex McLeish when owner Carson Yeung and chairman Peter Pannu return from the World Cup.

The duo are watching the latter stages of the tournament in South Africa but will also discuss McLeish's new deal.

McLeish would like to sort out his future sooner rather than later to assure potential transfer targets and insists he is at St Andrew's for the long haul.

Pannu said: "We have had extensive talks with Alex and his representative. His agent told us what he wants and we told his agent we will be revisiting the terms and we are currently putting together a new package.

"I will speak to Carson Yeung first before a deal is put to Alex to consider. There will be improved terms for him and it will be presented to him after I have met with Carson in South Africa.

"Whether Alex accepts, or doesn't, is purely speculative, so there is no point in me talking about that.

"We don't want people to think that we don't want him to stay, just as we don't want people to think that Carson or myself are being pressurised.

"Alex is our manager, we are planning for the new season, and I don't see there being problems."