Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has reportedly had a £2.5million bid for Scotland forward James McFadden turned down by Everton.McLeish is in the market for additional firepower and is a known admirer of the talented Scot, having managed him in the international arena.

A £2.5million offer is thought to have been lodged but Everton are loath to dismantle a squad that has brought considerable success this term.

While McFadden has spent much of the campaign on the bench due to the form of Andrew Johnson and Aiyegbeni Yakubu, he has impressed whenever he has been given playing time.

Celtic were keen to take the player back to the SPL in a loan proposal that was rebuffed and now Birmingham have joined the list of suitors disappointed by Everton's reluctance to sell.

McFadden was a key player in Scotland's admirable but ultimately failed bid to qualify for Euro 2008 - and McLeish could yet persuade his bosses at St Andrews to up the ante for the versatile forward.

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