Source: Daily_Mail
Birmingham boss McLeish hoping to take £1m Hart from Manchester City
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has already started planning his assault on the Premier League by lining up a move for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
According to the Daily Mirror, McLeish is prepared to pay £1million to take Hart on loan next season after securing promotion from the Championship with a final-day win at Reading.
Hart lost his place at Eastlands when City boss Hughes bought Shay Given from Newcastle in January.
The 22-year-old, with one England cap, is tipped to be a star of the future for his country but is worried a lack of first-team opportunities will hamper his progress.
Meanwhile, McLeish has slammed weekend reports of a rift existing between himself and chairman David Gold.
And the former Scotland boss insists he has a solid relationship with the long-serving Gold and his full support.
McLeish said: 'People ask me if I have had a rift with the chairman and I think that is wide of the mark. I am astonished to hear that.
'He is in the dressing room every week wishing me well. I get text messages from the chairman when it is has not gone so well, keeping the support up.
'I really appreciate that. That is a godsend when you are on a low, when you get a text message from your boss when you are a bit down.'
Gold echoed McLeish's sentiments as he revealed his desire to see Birmingham establish themselves amongst the elite after two relegations and two promotions in the past four seasons.
He said: 'I read 'I have not got a relationship with Alex McLeish' and that drives you mad.
'You were bound to get the stories with no foundation with no quotes on the day of the biggest game of the season.
'I repeat, there is no foundation to that. It has been a very long season and we have had our ups and downs and it has been tense at times.
'People were saying that sometimes we weren't playing the right kind of football and system but I remember at the start of the season saying 'Alex - get us promoted'.
'I didn't say 'how' but the job was to get us promoted and the manager has delivered and you can't ask for more success than that.'
