Blues in bid for Benitez

Benitez: Offer from Birmingham

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Cristian Benitez's advisor says Birmingham City have made an 'official offer' to sign the Ecuador striker.

The 23-year-old currently plays in Mexico for Santos Laguna and has been tracked for several months by Wigan Athletic.

Latics boss Steve Bruce recently admitted he would not 'pay over the odds' for Benitez, who has also been linked with the likes of PSV Eindhoven and Villarreal.

Benitez has an impressive goalscoring record at international level and has been the subject of a bid from promoted Birmingham.

His advisor Barry McIntosh confirmed the offer from Blues, but also revealed that several other Premier League clubs are showing an interest.

Talented

"Birmingham has made an official offer for the player, who is one of the most talented players in South America and, at the moment, is playing his trade in the professional league in Mexico for Santos Laguna," McIntosh told Sky Sports News.

"Naturally, the offer from Birmingham is being seriously considered, but in the past 24 hours there has been a number of other interested parties in England who are looking to up their bid to secure the player."

Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers have been mooted as admirers of Benitez in the past, but McIntosh did not divulge the other teams chasing the forward.

He added: "At this stage it would be premature to say precisely who the other suitors are. They are bigger clubs within the top six to eight of the league.

"He is an established international player and would like to ply his trade at a club where he has the possibility of playing in the Uefa Cup or the Champions League.

"Of course, we are looking at the best possible options for the player before making a final decision."

Decision next week

A potential fee for the deal has not been suggested, but McIntosh expects a decision to be made on Benitez's future next week.

"The deal on the table has not been matched or surpassed by one or two other clubs," McIntosh continued.

"Everything will be considered on Tuesday by the president of Santos Laguna and we would hope by Wednesday that we'll know precisely which is the most likely destination for the player.

"As far as how much the player is worth, he is worth what somebody is prepared to pay for him."