Last Updated: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:19
Birmingham are understood to have increased their wage offer to Patrick Vieira in a last attempt to sign the French midfielder.
The former Arsenal man seems certain to leave Inter Milan this summer, as Jose Mourinho looks to shake up his squad, with Blues looking to pull off a coup by capturing the 33-year-old.
Vieira has so far resisted Birmingham's lucrative offers but it's believed Alex McLeish will make a third and final attempt to sign the Frenchman, with talk of a £100,000 a week deal.
Chairman David Gold believes the capture of Vieira would be on a par with Blues bringing France striker Christophe Dugarry to St Andrew's six years ago.
Gold said: "We have pulled rabbits out of the hat before and we want to do it again, but you can't do these things unless you try.
"People would see Vieira as the second Dugarry if he came to Birmingham. Even now it's not impossible but the odds aren't good, we maybe only have a one in 10 chance."