FIRST Division Birmingham City have launched a million pound bid to take Blackburn Rovers striker Mike Newell to St Andrews.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph can reveal that Birmingham boss Trevor Francis has made a firm inquiry for the 31-year-old centre-forward and he will follow that up with a bid later this week.

Francis is currently on holiday but has indicated that Newell is his number one target - along with French star Jean-Pierre Papin.

Birmingham sources say that Newell has even agreed personal terms - but Rovers say they have only had a "tentative inquiry" from Birmingham.

It remains to be seen though if manager Ray Harford sees the forward as surplus to requirements and whether or not Rovers want to do business.

Although Newell commanded a regular first team place alongside Alan Shearer following the long-term injury to Chris Sutton last season, competition for places will be fierce next season.

Rovers could be ready to strike out in the continental transfer market for another forward before the start of the Premiership campaign to add to the signing of flying winger Georgios Donis from Panathinaikos - and that could leave Newell out in the cold. One of Kenny Dalglish's first major signings, Newell arrived from Everton in November 1991 for a fee of just over £1m.

Meanwhile, angry Blackburn Rovers chairman Rob Coar has dismissed the latest Alan Shearer transfer rumours as "more nonsense."

Spanish reports say Barcelona are ready to offer £12 million for the Blackburn Rovers striker at the end of Euro 96 - and the Manchester United rumours refuse to die away.

And again it was stated that England's number one striker has an exit clause in his Ewood Park contract if he ever wants to leave - but not to another Premiership club.

But Coar blasted: "The whole story is untrue and a complete and utter fabrication.

"The situation is clear with Alan Shearer. He has served one year of a four-year contract with Blackburn. It can't be plainer than that.

"The whole story is just another example of a national newspaper plucking a name out of the air. The situation is completely and utterly without foundation."

Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Tim Flowers, David Seaman's understudy, has given England coach Terry Venables a fresh headache when he had to drop out of training today with a calf strain.

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