Cisse Deal Hits Problems

Last updated : 28 May 2004 By Mark Heys
The deal to bring Birmingham City midfielder Aliou Cisse to the Reebok Stadium appears to have hit a snag after the Blues insisted that they receive a fee for the Senegalese international.


Cisse has held talks with Bolton over a possible summer switch to the club but it appears that the two sides have differing views on how the fee should be paid thus holding up the deal. Birmingham manager Steve Bruce is keen to recoup a huge slice of the £1,500,000 he paid to Paris Saint Germain two years ago whilst his good friend Sam Allardyce - the Bolton manager is hoping he can persuade Bruce to allow the player to leave for a nominal fee, possibly even a Free Transfer.

With former Trotters target Muzzy Izzet bound for St Andrews the Midlands club are keen to offload certain members of their squad and at the moment the likes of Cisse and Bryan Hughes (who rejected the deal offered to him) look most likely to be on their way out.

Talks however are expected to continue and hopefully a compromise can be reached.