Birmingham City set to make second bid for Charles N'Zogbia
Birmingham City are said to be ready to make a new approach for Wigan Athletic player Charles N'Zogbia.
The mooted move will come after the winger did not feature in his team’s 4-0 dismantling at the hands of Blackpool in the English Premier League on Saturday. Blues boss Alex McLeish made an £8m for the services of the 24-year-old earlier this summer, but that was rejected by Wigan who are looking for around £10m for the Frenchman. Now, The Guardian have reported that Birmingham are ready to make a new bid of between £8.5m and £9m.
Though it had been speculated that N’Zogbia had gone on strike in an attempt to push through a move away from the DW Stadium, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said that wasn’t the case. He told reporters that: "After he came back from [a France friendly against Norway last week], he wasn't mentally ready to play. There are different reasons, internal reasons. Was he fined or disciplined? No. Did he go on strike or refuse to train? No."
The former Newcastle United player has been in training with his team-mates this week and could feature against Chelsea in a league match on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Martinez spoke of his belief that the transfer window should end before the football season begins as speculation over a player’s future may affect their mindset and, thus, their performances on the pitch. He said that: "It would really help if the window was closed before the games started. The transfer window gives a player a moment to think about their careers and their futures. By doing that you are disrespecting the team. If the window closed before the first game, at least the players can get focused. Football is a collective sport and at the moment the transfer window goes against that and treats it like an individual sport."
Tags: