Alex McLeish will make Birmingham defender Scott Dann his first signing as Aston Villa manager, Sky Sports reports. The ex-Blues manager is expected to take over at Villa Park within the next 24 hours and once of his first acts in the job will be convincing his old centre-back to join him. Dann is widely tipped to leave St Andrews following Birmingham's relegation from the Premier League. His impressive performances in the top-flight have led him to be linked with a number of teams, including Arsenal and Liverpool. But McLeish is hopeful his ties with Dann, whom he signed from Coventry in 2009, will give him the advantage in the race for his signature. The 24-year-old's signing was reportedly brought up by McLeish during his discussions with Villa owner Randy Lerner, and the American is thought to have given the transfer his approval.
