Birmingham City: their plans & players; Hleb confirms he snubbed offers from Liverpool & Tottenham Part 2
The first is the transfer deal of 26-year old Chilean international Jean Beausejour. Reports have concluded that the contract signed is for 3 years, and the player’s salary will be revised when he joins the club.
The Chilean player has been brought in from Club America, where he has compiled 45 appearances and netted 3 goals. The forward is also a star for his country and has been playing for them since 2004. For Chile, the winger has acquired 30 appearances and scored 2 goals.
McLeish has stated that he expects a lot from the 26-year old player. He stated that he knew about the player before, but he came to his attention after the World Cup where he performed brilliantly on the flanks.
The other player that has been signed in by Birmingham City is Martin Jiranek. The Czechoslovakian player has confirmed his signing from Spartak Moscow, where he appeared in 136 fixtures and scored 4 goals.
Despite these signings, Hleb will prove to be the person who can really turn around the fate of the club. His signature performance in the midfield proves him to be the pivot of the team, and that is why he was chased by a couple of clubs this season, especially from Spain, Portugal and Brazil. One such club was Benfica, and the bid from them came early in the summer but it was rejected by both Barcelona and Hleb.
While talking to the media, Hleb clarified the situation he was in: “I had a few options, Liverpool, Tottenham and Benfica. It was necessary to explore each one.” He added that he had not made a prejudiced decision, but had prudently pondered over the offers and then decided that right now it was best for him to play for Birmingham City.
In the press statement, Hleb said, “I wasn't able to come to an agreement with one of them”.
He clarified that in the end, he chose Birmingham because of the intensity in their demand. Hleb explained that the club seemed poised for a great beginning, and he could not have let them walk alone.
“But Birmingham clearly wanted to do the deal more than the others, which is why I made my choice,” he said.
McLeish has articulated that the signing of Hleb is like a dream come true for the club. McLeish said that he would try to utilize the full potential of Hleb and take advantage of him as he has played with big clubs.
Hleb has admitted that he has been playing at big clubs and that factor is sure to help out in his attempt to bring the club in the upper echelons of football. The club’s first aim would be to enter into the top 4 teams.
Blues have managed a good job on it so far this season, as they have troubled teams that played against them. Birmingham started their EPL campaign away and against Sunderland, drawing the match 2-2. Their next match was against Blackburn Rovers, and in the match, Birmingham dominated and defeated Rovers 2-1.
Birmingham’s latest match was against Bolton Wanderers, and that was also drawn at 2-2. With these results, they are currently on the 6th position on the table. Their real test is yet to appear on Sunday, the 12th of September, at their home St. Andrew’s Stadium against Liverpool.
Their new signings, if played, will have a tough point to prove. This will be an important match for both teams and it has been predicted by experts that the match is supposed to be intense.
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