Source: Daily_Mail
Birmingham set sights on £8m Fulham star Bobby Zamora after Alex McLeish releases Christian Benitez
Birmingham have been linked with an audacious move for Bobby Zamora, but are understood to have had their offer rejected by Fulham.The Blues are looking to recruit a new front-man after deciding not to take up the option to sign Christian Benitez on a permanent deal. Benitez will now return to parent club Santos Laguna in Mexico, whose £7million asking price for the Ecuador international was considered too high.St Andrews' boss Alex McLeish told the Birmingham Mail: 'We did have an agreement that theprevious board put in place. Chucho (Benitez) did very well for us. Iam sorry to lose him but the deal was just too rich for us. Euro star: Bobby Zamora (left) in action during the Europa League final'My task now is to find someone who can do a better job. I have got totry and find a player who can be even better than Chucho.'And the man McLeish has targeted to spearhead his side's attack next season is £8million-rated Zamora, according to The Mirror.Zamora has won many admiring glances for his Europa League heroics this season but Fulham appear desperate to hold on to their star striker, who has been forced to sit out this summer's World Cup due to an achilles injury.On his way: Benitez is returning to his parent club after McLeish decided not to sign him permanentlyBirmingham also inquired about Zamora's team-mate Paul Konchesky, one of six Fulham players, including skipper Danny Murphy, with just one year left on their contracts at Craven Cottage. McLeishrecently revealed his admiration for Zamora when he said: 'You get a lot of strikers in football who are great at assistsand they do a lot of work for other people to score. When I think ofplayers like that I think of Bobby Zamora and Jay Bothroyd at Cardiff.' McLeish is set to revamp his squad this summer and has parted company with midfielder Gary McSheffrey plus defenders Franck Queudrue and Gregory Vignal. Midfielder Lee Carsley had already signalled his intention to leave St Andrew's. But, as expected, McLeish is to offer a new deal to veteran striker Kevin Phillips and has also begun talks with full-back Stuart Parnaby over a new deal. Phillips showed that he can still make an impact at the top level when used as a substitute. McLeish confirmed: 'We will look to make a new offer to Kevin and he has bought into the role we want him to play now. 'Like all players, he would want to play but I said last season that I saw him being more effective as an impact player and that remains the case.' Turning down a place in Capello's World Cup squad hurt, admits ZamoraFulham eye Davies as O'Neill looks to offload six Aston Villa playersBIRMINGHAM CITY FC