Birmingham City will become the latest side to attempt to halt the early-season Premier League leaders when they head to undefeated Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow.

Harry Redknapp’s expensively-assembled squad have so far lived up to summer predictions that they will be serious contenders for a top four place this season.

The north Londoners have hit 13 goals in their first four games of the season to leave Liverpool, Hull City, West Ham United and Doncaster Rovers trailing in their wake.

Birmingham can be proud of their own start to the 2009/10 campaign but manager Alex McLeish knows that it pales into insignificance compared to Spurs.

“We are only three games in and we are well aware that when you start talking about yourself and praising yourself, football can kick you in the teeth,” said McLeish.

“We are coming up against a high-flying Spurs side and we would like to think we can be organised and try and resist a fantastic attack. The last four teams they have faced haven’t been able to do it.

“They have been on fire so far, scoring goals for fun, and it is now our turn to face the challenge. Harry Redknapp has built a tremendous squad there and spent the money very well and they have got phenomenal technical ability and speed in their team.

“He is a good team builder. He knows how to get the best out of players. Good players don’t come cheap. He has spent a lot of money and spent it very wisely.

“People have spent money and not done the best they could but Harry is building a terrific side and they have got every reason to think they can compete with the best with some of the displays we have seen.”

McLeish, who is hoping to welcome back striker Kevin Phillips and left-back Gregory Vignal from injury as well as midfielder Keith Fahey from a family bereavement, has once again had to deal with the persistent off-the-field rumours that surround Birmingham.

Following the club’s incoming owner Carson Yeung’s announcement on Monday that he was willing to boost McLeish’s transfer kitty by £5 million, that investment looked set to go towards the unexpected signing of Middlesborough’s Turkish striker Tuncay. However it became apparent that Stock Market regulations in Hong Kong prevented such a course of action.

Birmingham City plc yesterday issued a statement to the London Stock Exchange saying that the company ‘had not received any loan from Yeung to fund the acquisition of players’, and that they had received ‘confirmation that no such loan will be made prior to the end of the transfer window’.

While hopes of landing Sporting Gijon midfielder Michel appeared to be fading, McLeish remained confident that the saga could be completed in Birmingham’s favour.

“The stumbling block is money, about payments and the way they are made, agents, everyone comes into it. We are hoping to find a solution over the next couple of days.

“The club have worked hard on it from day one and they haven’t wavered on that. We are just waiting for things to be tidied up Sporting Gijon’s end.”

McLeish also confirmed that the agents of Gary McSheffrey and Marcus Bent are continuing to work on moves away from the club.