Samaras: No longer needed

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• Aston Villa
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• James McFadden
• Mauro Zarate
• More PlayersGeorgios SamarasGary Cahill

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Alex McLeish has revealed that he will not be continuing with his efforts to sign Georgios Samaras from Manchester City.

With James McFadden and Mauro Zarate arriving at St Andrews during the transfer window the Birmingham boss now feels that he has sufficient attacking options.

Samara has made just five Premier League appearances for Manchester City this season and McLeish had been tracking the player for some time.

The two clubs had agreed a £2.5million fee for the Greek international, but in light of recent transfer activity the Blues boss has now admitted that the deal is unlikely to be revived.

Out of time

"I cannot do that deal just now," McLeish told the Birmingham Mail.

"We have a lot of strikers at the club and I have to concentrate on another couple of positions.

"Time has just run on with the Samaras one.

"I had identified the big guy as a target five or six weeks ago and if I could have done it then, it would have been different.

"But things have dragged on and other people became available. McFadden became available, Zarate was an unexpected opportunity, therefore it created a problem with the Samaras one. So it's unlikely."

Cahill offer

One of the positions which McLeish is keen to bolster during the next few days is his defence, with Aston Villa's Gary Cahill his preferred option.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill has already revealed that an initial bid from Birmingham has been turned down for the defender and McLeish accepts that a deal may not be possible.

"Martin O'Neill said he had a squad problem, injury-wise, and you could see from the fact Cahill was on the bench at Liverpool last night (Monday) that that was the case.

"Martin will be the guy who decides whether he comes to us at all.

"We have just got to watch this space with that one. In the meantime, I have to look at other options."