Birmingham City chairman David Gold expects latest signing Gary McSheffrey to prove the final piece in this season's expensively reassembled St Andrew's jigsaw.

The persistent Blues board finally got their man yesterday when Coventry City accepted yet another improved #4 million offer for the 24-year-old front player.

And, as his priciest purchase of the summer, Steve Bruce has now all but spent the #11 million raised by the sale of Jermaine Pennant and Emile Heskey on six players, as well as Blues' three season-long loan signings from Arsenal.

"I think it must be the fifth time we've gone back to them with a renewed bid for Gary," Gold said. "But we knew just how much Steve wanted him and I think it just shows we never take 'No' for an answer.

"Once again the Birmingham City board have backed their manager and got their man.

"But that's now it for a while. If there's a player out there who has been on our list who, through some change of circumstances, becomes available at the right price, then we'd still be interested. But it's now time to take stock and allow the ones we have got to do a little bedding in."

More crucially, having taken the controversial decision to keep Bruce on in May, Gold admits to being impressed with the apparent rejuvenation of the Blues manager's ability in the transfer market, in the wake of some of his less impressive Premiership purchases.

"I'd like to think we have spent that money wisely," Gold said. "We've got to keep a little back in case of emergencies for January although, in that respect, I'm hoping we used up all of our bad luck last season.

"But the key this summer has been to signing players who can go out there and win us the title, and improve along the way sufficiently that they can then go on to make an impact for us when we get back to the Premiership.

"Cameron Jerome, and now McSheffrey too, have done it at Championship level for their respective clubs last season, and we're looking for them to do the same for us. And we expect the same of Neil Danns too.

"But, just like all the signings we've made this summer, we've brought in another one capable of scoring goals.

"Goals are what we're after and I actually think if there was even a goalkeeper out there who could be guaranteed to hit one a season, Steve would have signed him too."

After passing his medical on Tuesday, McSheffrey has signed a four-year deal with the option of a further two years. Blues fans have cause to celebrate landing a player who has been his team's top scorer for the past three seasons.

A product of Coventry City's youth Academy, McSheffrey became the Premiership's youngest player as a 16-year-old against Aston Villa in 1999. Since then, the 24-year-old has scored 52 goals in 123 starts.

But, after a summer of hoping that the Sky Blues might compete with the Birminghams and West Bromwich Albions at this level, McSheffrey's departure will leave a large hole as far as their upset supporters are concerned.

Coventry boss Micky Adams has been busy this summer undertaking his own reconstruction programme, having brought in a dozen players. McSheffrey has effectively paid for them.

By way of confirmation that every player does indeed have his price, despite claiming all summer that he was going nowhere, the Sky Blues also realised there was no point hanging on to an unhappy player.

Although having initially suggested that McSheffrey was reluctant to leave his home-town club, Coventry managing director Paul Fletcher confirmed that the decision was made following consultations among the "board, manager and the player himself".

"It was never our intention to let Gary go," he said. "But we've made a decision which we believe is in the best interests of the club.

"Gary has been a tremendous servant to the club but there comes a time in every-one's career when they have the opportunity to move on.

"Although I understand that this decision will be unpopular with many of our supporters, I'd urge all of our fans to look long-term towards our goal of reaching the Premiership within three years. This money will help manager Micky Adams to strengthen the squad and create a better team to get us there."