Birmingham widen search after ending Keane chase

(Getty Images)

Birmingham City have ended their interest in signing the Tottenham striker Robbie Keane. Spurs had accepted Birmingham's £6m offer for the Irish striker but an official statement yesterday announced that "the signing of Keane would not be in the best financial interests of the club".

Keane has scored just one goal for Tottenham this season, and manager Harry Redknapp had confirmed that Keane was allowed to leave White Hart Lane, saying of a potential move to St Andrew's that "if it's a move he fancies, we wouldn't stand in his way".

Birmingham, however, have decided against signing the 30-year-old who has 104 caps for the Republic of Ireland, as acting chairman Peter Pannu confirmed yesterday. "I met with Alex [McLeish] and Paul [Montgomery, chief scout] today to discuss some new targets – names that we will not be mentioning at this moment in time – as we have decided that the signing of Keane would not be in the best financial interests of the club."

"Everyone knows that he is a tremendous player but having considered the overall package – one which certainly wasn't unfair on the part of his representatives to ask for given his talent and experience – Keane's age and the length of contract, we felt that financially he wasn't the best option available."