http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...derland-bid-5m-Birminghams-Craig-Gardner.html EXCLUSIVE: Gardner set to join Birmingham exodus after £5m Sunderland bid By Sami Mokbel Last updated at 10:45 PM on 13th June 2011 Comments (0) Add to My Stories Share Birmingham City face losing their top players as well as their manager after Sunderland made a £5million enquiry for midfielder Craig Gardner. Former Blues boss Steve Bruce moved to try to take advantage of the uncertainty at St Andrew's by making a bid for the midfield talisman just 24 hours after the resignation of Alex McLeish. Gardner, 24 and a Birmingham fan, was the club's star performer during their rollercoaster season. He was top scorer with 10 in all competitions, and his last-day goal at Tottenham came within minutes of saving his club from relegation. Firepower: Craig Gardner (right) was Birmingham's top-scorer last season with 10 goals from midfield Bruce, with money to spend after agreeing Jordan Henderson's £16m switch to Liverpool, will offer him the chance to stay in the Barclays Premier League. Newcastle are also keen on Gardner, who cost £3m when McLeish signed him from Aston Villa 18 months ago. Bruce has already tried to move ahead of his North East rival Alan Pardew in the battle for former Birmingham winger Seb Larsson. Wanted: Seb Larsson is being tracked by Sunderland, Newcastle, Blackburn and Arsenal Blackburn and Arsenal are also interested in the Sweden star, 26, who is a free agent after turning down a new contract offer at St Andrew's. And the rush to follow McLeish out of the exit door looks unlikely to stop there. Goalkeeper Ben Foster was a Villa target even before McLeish was added to their short list of possible successors to Gerard Houllier, as was £10m-rated former Coventry central defender Scott Dann. Strikers Cameron Jerome and Nikola Zigic, as well as Dann and fellow centre half Roger Johnson, have all been told they will be sold for the right price as Birmingham's owners try to deal with the financial fall-out of relegation. Yours, for the right price: Blues central defender Roger Johnson (left) is available Bolton and Stoke are willing to pay £3.5m for Jerome, but Birmingham are holding out for £5m. Blackburn and Wolves are among the other clubs Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-Birminghams-Craig-Gardner.html#ixzz1PCi3SOqq Hope this is true i would love for us to sign Gardner
sorry 1978, missed your article, just published the same, will ask Commachio or syd to delete mine, again sorry.
