Bruce back off holiday for mystery new signing

Steve Bruce is understood to be interrupting a foreign holiday in order to attend today's unveiling of a "major international signing" at his club, Birmingham City.

A guessing game began when Birmingham called a media conference for today and spoke in excited tones of the quality, if not the identity, of their target. "People will be surprised - that's all I'm saying," said the club's co-owner, David Sullivan, indicating that a striker and midfielder may soon arrive.

The club are known to be interested in the Chelsea duo, Mikael Forssell and Scott Parker, and have sounded out Crystal Palace about buying former Blues striker, Andy Johnson.