Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan admits the signing of Ecuador striker Christian Benitez for a club-record fee is a gamble.

The 23-year-old signed from Mexican side Santos Laguna for an undisclosed fee, which Sullivan suggested could rise to close to £15million or £20million.

Those figures would dwarf Blues` previous transfer record of £6.25million paid for Emile Heskey in 2004 and Sullivan is hopeful Benitez can live up to the hype that has surrounded him in recent seasons.

"It is a bit of a gamble but when you are a club like us you have to take gambles and you have to hope the player comes good," he told Sky Sports News.

"He is a very exciting striker. He is a short guy, he is only 5ft 6in but so was Zola and several of the top players at Barcelona. He is a young man and could be anything."