Bruce eyes permanent Muamba deal

But he concedes a January deal for the England under-19 captain, who has made 23 Blues appearances, is unlikely.

"We are delighted with his contribution and I know Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger wants him to get a football education here," Bruce said of the 18-year-old.

"If they wanted to make him available we'd listen but I think January is too early to discuss a permanent move."

Muamba, who was born in DR Congo, is a strong holding midfielder and has long been dubbed the 'new Patrick Vieira' in Arsenal circles.

And his performances in helping Birmingham move to the top of the Championship have also attracted reported interest from Fulham, Middlesbrough and Everton.

Muamba is on loan at St Andrews along with fellow Gunners Nicklas Bendtner and Sebastian Larsson and Bruce has expressed an interest in signing the trio.

He has repeatedly said he would relish securing Danish striker Bendtner on a long-term deal and is close to agreeing the transfer of midfielder Larsson.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Birmingham fans' views on 606
BBC WM audio
Birmingham weather
BBC Sport Championship
Birmingham City
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites