Birmingham close on Jiranek

Birmingham are understood to be closing in on a deal to sign Spartak Moscow defender Martin Jiranek

The 31-year-old's contract with the Russian club expires in December and Blues boss Alex McLeish is thought to be keen on adding the versatile defender to his squad before the transfer window shuts.

Should the 6ft 3in defender sign for the midlands outfit before Tuesday's 6pm deadline, he will provide competition for centre backs Roger Johnson, Scott Dann and Liam Ridgewell, although Czech international Jiranek can also play at full-back.