Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish is stepping up his efforts to bring in last-minute reinforcements ahead of the start of the Premier League season this weekend.

As of yesterday, a deal for Sporting Gijon’s Spanish midfielder Miguel Marcos Madera, commonly known as Michel, hadn’t moved any closer to completion.

However, it is believed that McLeish has met with David Gold, the Birmingham chairman, in a bid to secure further financial backing for such a deal.

Speaking to the Spanish press, Michel, who produced an encouraging display in front of the St Andrew’s crowd during Saturday’s goalless pre-season warm-up between Birmingham and Sporting Gijon, implied that the situation remains out of his hands and that it was down to the two clubs to iron out a transfer.

Yet of even greater concern for McLeish ahead of Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United, the reigning Premier League champions, will be his lack of fit defenders.

Having seen his backline severely depleted by injuries during the summer, a left-back and centre-half is now a priority. Trialist Gregory Vignal, an ex-Liverpool, Portsmouth and Rangers player, failed to disappoint in the former position while reports yesterday suggested that McLeish was running the rule over Senegal international left-back Boukary Drame, currently of French club Sochaux.

Meanwhile with regards to a new centre-half, Bolton Wanderers’ Danny Shittu and free agent Sol Campbell are the latest names to be linked to St Andrew’s, although Birmingham appear to face plenty of competition from other clubs for both defenders.

The remainder of the week certainly looks set to be a busy few days for McLeish because, as things stand, Birmingham appear to be dangerously under strength for Sunday’s daunting trip to the Theatre of Dreams, a situation worsened by Lee Bowyer’s confirmed suspension for the next two fixtures following his red card against Preston North End.

Referee Lee Mason will take charge of Sunday’s early afternoon fixture at Old Trafford.