Despite previously indicating that another winger, possibly former loanee Lee Martin, is the final piece in his promotion jigsaw, it emerged yesterday that Kevin Blackwell is also searching for a player capable of piercing the Championship's meanest defences with a single telling pass.

It is a problem which has troubled the United manager's predecessors for at least the past four seasons and drawing up a list of targets represents the first real test for the club's recently-revamped scouting system.

But, having been assured he will receive the required financial backing from the board, Blackwell is confident he can unearth someone of the right calibre.

"You don't get anything for nothing these days," Blackwell said. "The money is there for the right acquisitions.

"I've said in the past that I'll only go back in if it is something which really excites me.

"The centre (of midfield) is an area we've looked at but I don't think you can get the type of person we would like for anything less than £2 million or £3m."

Blackwell, whose side open the new campaign at Birmingham City tomorrow, added: "But I can't stress enough that I'm happy with what we've already got here.

"If someone comes up now, then great.

"If it means waiting until January to get the right person, then so be it."

James Beattie (knee) and Keith Gillespie (ankle) are likely to be the only notable absentees from a first-team squad which was informed of the starting 11 set to take the field at St Andrews last night.

"Obviously it's a disappointment about James," Blackwell said.

"But the rate that he's going at it might only be another three to four weeks before he's ready."
Meanwhile, tomorrow's game at St Andrews brings together two teams with the same hopes and aspirations.

And, as an analysis of Sheffield United and Birmingham's activity this summer reveals, similar records in the transfer market too.

Kevin Blackwell and Alex McLeish are both expected to deliver promotion to their respective clubs at the end of the season.

And the strength of the options at their disposal is reflected by the relatively modest amounts they have spent on recruitment.

Like Blackwell, McLeish appears to have made a number of shrewd acquisitions.

Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Kemy Agustien have both been signed on a temporary basis, but Birmingham paid over £2m to facilitate their loan agreements.

Birmingham in: Lee Carsley (Everton, midfield), Kevin Phillips (West Brom, striker), Marcus Bent (Wigan, striker), Kemy Agustien (AZ Alkmaar, midfield) loan, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (Spartak Moscow, midfield), loan.

United in: Greg Halford (Sunderland, defence) loan, Sun Jihai (free agent, defence/midfield), Darius Henderson (Watford, striker), Matthew Spring (Luton, midfield) loan, David Cotterill, (Wigan, midfield), Justin Haber (Malta, goalkeeper).

Teams: Birmingham (possible): Taylor, Parnaby, Murphy, Taylor, Ridgewell, Larsson, Nafti, Carsley, Phillips, O'Connor, McSheffrey
(4-3-3).

United (possible): Kenny, Halford, Morgan, Kilgallon, Naysmith, Cotterill, Tonge, Speed, S Quinn, Henderson, Webber (4-4-2).

Sheffield United: Preview for the season, including ins and outs and squad numbers. Don't miss Saturday's Green'Un newspaper


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