Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray has refused to either confirm nor deny his interest in Blues midfielder Grant Leadbitter. The Teessiders are believed to be close to agreeing a deal with the out-of-contract former Sunderland man, who has also been linked with Brighton and Hove Albion.
Asked about Leadbitter, former Blues skipper and coach Mowbray said: "I don't think it's a time for me to talk about bringing in specific players.
"The squad we have got at the moment has to get on with the job and try and get us into the Premier League.
"We've got, I think, eight players out of contract in the summer and some of them we probably won't be able to re-sign because of the financial restraints on the club. So we are looking everywhere for players who can help us move forward."