Birmingham City want £5m in compensation from Aston Villa for manager Alex McLeish

Alex McLeish – Scotland

Related Links

Teams

Players

Birmingham insist Alex McLeish is still contracted to them and are mulling over injunctions and an appeal to the Premier League after complaining of a “conspiracy” involving their bitter local rivals and McLeish, who still had more than two years left on his contract.

The Blues will block any move for the former Scotland manager unless they recieve the £5 million compensation to which they insist they are entitled to according to the terms of his contract.

St Andrew’s chief Peter Pannu told The Mirror: “I don’t want McLeish back. If he is going to go, I want the money.

“I just got an email from Aston Villa. As expected, their legal department said, ‘Now that Alex McLeish is a free agent, having resigned, we are free to speak to him.’

“He thinks he can walk away because the £5.4m compensation is too much for Villa and he cannot let this opportunity pass.

“I will be getting an injunction preventing Villa from hiring him. Either Villa pick up his tab or I will be reporting it now to the Premier League.”

Birmingham are braced for a volley of counter-claims from McLeish, who thinks he has a case for constructive dismissal over interference in transfers.

A legal row looks set to ensue between the local rivals unless Villa can produce the compensation money quickly.