Blues were close to Edmilson deal
by Toby Davis, 15 May 2008
Birmingham City missed out on signing Brazilian World Cup winner Edmilson from Barcelona after they were relegated from The Premier League.
Edmilson was all set to sign for Blues, but relegation scuppered their plans to bring the player to St Andrews.
But co-owner David Sullivan says despite missing out on former Lyon midfielder, Alex McLeish is on the brink of bringing an established Premier League star to the club.
"We are very close to signing a player who has played 200 games for a team that has been in the top six/seven clubs in The Premier League," he told the Birmingham Mail.
"We believe he's better than what we've got, and would be even if we were still in The Premier League.
"But, had we stayed in The Premier League, we wouldn't be trying to sign him.
"In that [midfield] position we had a top Brazilian international from a top club in Spain all lined up to come. But he wouldn't play in the Championship.”
O’Sullivan is however keen to stress that the club are now close to completing a deal for the unnamed Premier League player.
He added: "If he doesn't end up coming, then don't say I've given you false promise because at this moment in time I would say it's 80 percent likely.
"If he does come, people might say 'well it's not a huge fee' but it would be huge wages. Why should he come from 'club A' in The Premier League to us otherwise?
"We have been negotiating since Monday to bring him in."