McLeish ready to wheel and deal

Alex McLeish has already signed Lee Carsley for next term (Getty)

Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish says he may have to make compromises as he looks for new players for next season.

McLeish told BBC WM: "I wouldn't have the money that I would have got in the Premiership, there's no doubt.

"At the same time, as players come in, players have to go, because there's obviously not a place for everybody.

"It may be that I've got to sacrifice a player that perhaps I don't want to go. But I'll only do that if I think I can use the money to take us forward."

McLeish is hoping that the departure of Mikael Forssell will give him some room in the wages budget to bring in players.

The Finnish striker left on a free transfer to play in Germany for Hannover but was thought to be one of Blues' higher earners.

McLeish said: "Mikael's wages have been released so that helps the club as well to balance their books, and hopefully it frees things up a little bit for me to do some business in terms of bringing in players.

"We're a body down, or a couple of bodies down maybe when you include Mauro Zarate, who's gone, so we're a little bit thin on the ground in the numbers of the squad."

So far, McLeish's only close season signing has been Everton midfielder Lee Carsley.