Town have confirmed the season-long loan signing of St Etienne midfielder Guirane N’Daw, subject to international clearance. As reported last night, the 28-year-old passed a medical and agreed personal terms yesterday, the clubs having negotiated the terms of the loan earlier in the week.
Boss Paul Jewell said: "I’m delighted to add Guirane to the squad and he’s coming here for a year. We’ve been trying to get him for a while, so I’m pleased to finally bring him in.
"I’ve said many times that we look a little vulnerable at set pieces and he will bring some physical presence and stature to the squad, something you need for the rigours of a Championship season.
"He’s a good addition to the squad, but first he will need to earn the right to get into the side.
"But Guirane has a good pedigree in the game and has played for Real Zaragoza, Sochaux and obviously St Etienne.
"He also played for Birmingham last season and I know Chris Hughton speaks highly of him, so we’re very pleased to add him to the ranks.”
The Senegalese international will briefly return to France before joining up with the squad next week, probably not in time to be involved against Carlisle in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.
The 6ft 3in tall Rufisque-born midfielder or centre-half, who St Etienne have confirmed is contracted until June 2013, not 2014 as reported in some sources, began his career with Sochaux , with whom he won the 2007 Coupe de France.
He moved on to Nantes in 2008 before joining St Etienne initially on loan in 2009, a deal which became permanent the following summer for €4 million.
Capped 44 times by his country, scoring four goals, N'Daw spent the second half of 2010/11 on loan at Real Zaragoza in Spain before joining Birmingham on for the first half of the following campaign, the deal eventually being extended until the end of the season.
While with Birmingham he was absent with Senegal at the African Nations Cup for a time and was then sidelined with a hamstring problem, but still managed 25 starts and four sub appearances without scoring. He missed both games against Town.