Wolves target Dann opts for Blues

Wolves have dramatically pulled out of their bid to sign Coventry defender Scott Dann after being gazumped by rivals Birmingham.

The Molineux club were all set to make Dann their first signing of the summer after agreeing a £3.5m deal to take the 22-year-old ex-Walsall defender.

But Blues responded at the 11th hour by coming back with an improved offer in personal terms for Dann which is understood to have added a staggering £6,000-a-week to the deal that Wolves had been prepared to put on the table.

Wolves declined to get involved in an auction for a player who, while not among the group of targets being hunted with Premier League experience, was on their list as the latest addition to the 'young and hungry' brigade.

Although Dann favoured a move to Molineux and underwent a medical yesterday as a prelude to the deal, the England Under-21 player felt he had received an offer he could not refuse.

That leaves the way clear for Blues to clinch the transfer today after some extraordinary twists in the story which included an angry response from manager Alex McLeish when he heard Wolves were close to hi-jacking the transfer.

Wolves sources are stressing Dann, who learned his football at Walsall before being sold to Coventry for an undisclosed deal 18 months ago, was not a priority.

And chief executive Jez Moxey remains optimistic that next week could see the first of the planned recruits for the Premier League survival bid arriving.

Three players are in the frame for that with Moxey chasing progress in the club's £2.6m bid for the Serbian international Nenad Milijas.

There are hopes that the Red Star Belgrade captain will be over for talks and a look around the club's facilities over the weekend.

Having been released by Reading, 36-year-old American Marcus Hahnemann is thought to be the experienced man manager Mick McCarthy wants to strengthen his goalkeeping department.

And Marc Antoine-Forune is set to announce his plans in the next few days.