Source: Northern_Echo
McLeish told to forget about move for Nolan
BIRMINGHAM CITY are ready to test Newcastle United's resolve to keep Kevin Nolan in January, despite being told to forget about any possible deal.[LNB] City manager Alex McLeish will invest heavily in his squad in the new year transfer window, with owner Carson Yeung determined to show his financial strength.[LNB] Sources in the west Midlands are expecting Yeung to make about £20m available for squad strengthening and Nolan figures prominently in McLeish's sights.[LNB] Everton, Bolton and Hull are known to be monitoring the situation, but Birmingham's recent takeover has given them the spending power to trump anything offered by their Premier League counterparts.[LNB] McLeish, who is also interested in Magpies captain Alan Smith, has been weighing up his options and he has indicated the Newcastle pair are high on his list of targets.[LNB] And while he is also believed to be looking at spending £12m on Serbian strikers Nikola Zigic and Milan Jovanovic, the Birmingham boss is keen to bring some steel to his midfield.[LNB] The Blues have struggled to score goals since returning to the Premier League and McLeish has noted the rejuvenation of Nolan at St James' Park.[LNB] Newcastle manager Chris Hughton, however, has no intention of cashing in on a player who has overcome form and fitness problems to justify Joe Kinnear's decision to pay Bolton £4m for his services in January.[LNB] His nine goals this season have been a major factor in Newcastle's rise to the pinnacle of the Championship, leading a host of clubs to pay close attention to a player once regarded as one of the best midfielders in the country.[LNB] The 27-year-old has outlined a desire to stay on Tyneside and lead the charge back to the Premier League.[LNB] Newcastle could at least recoup the £4m they paid for Nolan in January, but Hughton has been assured by owner Mike Ashley that he does not need to sell.[LNB] Just last week the Newcastle manager insisted he was absolutely confident that we can keep him and we won't have to sell after a training ground meeting with Ashley.[LNB] That has not put off McLeish, and the Birmingham manager is exploring ways of tempting Newcastle into parting with Nolan, who was shortlisted for the Coca- Cola Championship player of the month award yesterday.[LNB] Nolan is in competition with Darren Ambrose, Darius Henderson and Simon Cox.[LNB] Hughton, meanwhile, is a contender for the manager of the month prize.[LNB] January is likely to be the first real test of Ashley's word since taking the club off the market. The Newcastle owner, who spent the entire summer and a bit more trying to find a buyer, has told Hughton that he does not need to sell any more players in the club's attempts to return to the top-flight.[LNB] The chances of promotion have received a boost with the news that Nicky Butt has returned to training ahead of Saturday's visit of Watford to St James' Park.[LNB] Butt has not appeared since the 1-0 win at Sheffield United after sustaining a calf injury.[LNB] Hughton now has only Joey Barton ruled out through injury, with Shola Ameobi and Andy Carroll also in contention again after their enforced absences recently.[LNB] And with Frenchman Fabrice Pancrate also recently recruited to bolster numbers, Hughton is keen to make sure his options keep increasing rather than dwindling by selling his best players.[LNB]
