Alex McLeish wants to bring Birmingham defender Scott Dann with him to Aston Villa – report

Scott Dann, Birmingham (Getty Images)

Related Links

Teams

Players

Alex McLeish may not be the only Birmingham employee about to make the move across the city to Aston Villa, as reports indicate that defender Scott Dann will be the Scot’s first transfer target if he gets the job at Villa Park.

McLeish, currently negotiating a move between the rival clubs, is reportedly keen to snap up the central defender, whom he signed for the Blues from Coventry two summers ago.

According to skysports.com, the 24-year-old could complete his move within the next 24 hours, although the potential fee remains unknown.

Having recently suffered relegation from the Premier League, Birmingham are braced for offers for several of their star players, with Dann and defensive partner Roger Johnson expected to be among those targeted by top-flight clubs.

Dann has established himself as an accomplished Premier League defender in the last two years, and is reportedly subject to interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, but if rumours are to be believed then McLeish may have managed to snatch him from under their noses.

The former Rangers boss faces an uphill battle to win over the Villa fans, who are up in arms about his likely appointment, and the signing of the highly-rated Dann might help to comfort them.

Having started his professional career at Walsall, Dann spent one year at Coventry in 2008-09 before McLeish brought him to St. Andrews for a then-club record fee.