Birmingham are close to the signing of Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
The 30-year-old is expected to move to St Andrew’s ahead of Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship opener with Brentford.
Boss Aitor Karanka had targeted new goalkeepers having also signed Andres Prieto from Espanyol.
He said: “He (Etheridge) is a player who is on our list but the club is doing a very good job, the relationship I have with the CEO is really good.
“If he arrives it will be perfect, if he doesn’t another one will arrive and will be the right one and a player we wanted.
“He has experience, promotion experience, which is important as well with players like (Adam) Clayton and George (Friend) they know how nice it is to get promoted. Let’s see what happens.”
Etheridge helped Cardiff to promotion to the Premier League in 2018 after joining from Walsall in 2017 and has made 102 appearances for the Bluebirds.
Cardiff manager Neil Harris said: “It is at a very advanced stage and Neil didn’t train today.
“We gave him permission not to, so it gives an inkling of how advanced it is.
“I’m always wary until things are signed, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Neil at Birmingham in the coming days.
“There is a good transfer fee involved, I’m led to believe. He’s in the last year (of his contract), but he’s a good Championship goalkeeper and it’s a decent size transfer fee.”
‘I don’t think Liverpool would look at Ollie Watkins, a striker isn’t a pressing issue for them – it’s Arsenal who need one’ Former Reds star explains why his old club don’t need an out-and-out forward this summer
‘He’ll still be playing at 40 at a good level because he’s in such good shape and looks after himself so well. He does everything to be a top professional’: Ex-Liverpool coach insists Mohamed Salah has plenty more miles in the tank
