Blues striker quits club

Birmingham striker Mikael Forssell has joined Bundesliga outfit Hannover on a three-year deal, the German outfit has announced.

The Finland international was out of contract this summer although Blues did have a two-year option, but to exercise that clause the former Chelsea youngster would have been due a pay rise.

St Andrews officials were trying to negotiate with Forssell but instead he will return to Germany following a spell with Borussia Moenchengladbach in 2003.

"I'm glad we were able to convince him to come to Hannover,'' Hannover's sports director Christian Hochstaetter said on Friday on the club's website.