Hyder Jawad explains why Blues manager Steve Bruce needs to strike it lucky...
Steve Bruce's search for a new striker has effectively been narrowed down to two names: Jason Euell of Charlton Athletic and Robert Earnshaw of West Bromwich Albion.
With Walter Pandiani set to return to Spain this month, probably to join Espanyol today, and Chris Sutton clearly a temporary measure, Birmingham City are looking for a more long-term answer to their problems in front of goal.
Emile Heskey, the England international striker, has scored just three times in the Premiership this season - two of those came in one match, against Albion, in August - and Mikael Forssell has suffered injuries and loss of form.
Pandiani has already turned down a move to Real Mallorca and has emphasised his desire to remain at St Andrew's. Espanyol of Barcelona look to have won the race to sign the player, whose arrival from Deportivo La Coru?a for £2.7 million last summer has been met with limited success.
Daniel Sanchez Llibre, the Espanyol president, says that a move to bring to take Pandiani to the club is "practically a done deal".
Both clubs were understood to be set to finalise a deal, worth about £1.5 million for the Uruguay forward. Pandiani signed a three-year deal with Birmingham in the summer after impressing while on loan at St Andrew's last season.
But, while Bruce would like to keep Pandiani, the manager is a realist and knows that he has to generate funds for himself if he is to become a significant player in the transfer market.
"Ideally, I would like to keep Walter," Bruce said. "This would add to the competition for places up front. You cannot have enough options up front. But I do have to generate funds for myself and this is something we have carefully considered.
"However, the offers we have had have been unacceptable and I won't let him go until we have someone else lined up to come in."
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Euell is Bruce's likeliest target. The Charlton striker is proven at Premiership level - unlike Earnshaw - but is not really the kind of player that Bruce requires. Earnshaw, smaller, quicker, more agile, would work better alongside Heskey.
Earnshaw is out of favour at The Hawthorns, although Bryan Robson, the Albion manager, is in no rush to sell the Wales international striker. Albion have six forwards, are looking to sign another one, but seem happy to have competition for places up front.
But Earnshaw is becoming frustrated. No matter which two strikers Robson uses, Earnshaw never seems to be part of the equation. He is destined to be on the substitutes' bench for as long as he remains an Albion player.
Birmingham, however, could provide him with a new lease of life. He would complement Heskey and would evoke images of the Kevin Keegan-John Toshack partnership that worked wonders for Liverpool in the Seventies.
Birmingham have never flourished in front of goal since Bruce took over the managerial reins in December 2001.
Christophe Dugarry did well on loan but failed miserably once signed on a permanent basis. Clinton Morrison never justified his fee, although it is fair to say that he has been missed since returning to Crystal Palace in August.
Bruce's attempts to bring Andrew Johnson back to St Andrew's appear to have failed. It was Bruce who sold Johnson to Crystal Palace, then watched in surprise as the striker went on to play for England.
Bruce has not enjoyed the best of luck with strikers. If the Johnson story is a source of embarrassment to him, the Luciano Figueroa story is no more encouraging.
The Argentinian played just three minutes of Premiership football for Birmingham, was released, and has since become one of the best South American strikers.
Bruce has also released Robbie Blake, a talented player but unproven at Premiership level, while Stern John seemed to have given Birmingham his best years before moving to Coventry City.
The most important issue is that Birmingham secure their Premiership status. They are still in the bottom two of the table, are improving slightly, and usually do well out of the January transfer window.
But Grzegorz Piechnam, the Polish striker, has ruled out the possibility of moving to St Andrew's. Instead, the 29-year-old wants to stay with Korona Kielce.
Birmingham had been hoping to invite the £700,000-rated Piechna, who has scored 16 goals in 17 appearances this season, for a trial period.
"I've gone off the idea of joining Birmingham," he said. "I've decided, after considering my options, to stay in Poland for the next six months."
The arrival of Chris Sutton, on a free transfer from Celtic, is a step in the right direction but not necessarily the man on whom stability is built.
Euell is a different proposition. Like Jiri Jarosik, he can play up front, in midfield, or just behind a lone striker. Euell runs well with the ball, is quick and strong, and, significantly, has a work ethic that endears him to Bruce.
Whatever, it seems that Pandiani's days are numbered, and that the future will only become brighter for Heskey - and, by extension, for Birmingham City.
