Birmingham seal Cisse deal

Birmingham have finally secured the services of Paris St Germain midfielder Aliou Cisse in a £4.5million package.

The Senegal captain was due to be introduced to the media at a lunchtime press conference today at the club's Wast Hills training complex.

Blues will splash out £1.5million in transfer fees while Cisse's four-year contract is worth around £3million to the 26-year-old player.

Cisse verbally agreed during the World Cup to join Blues before leading Senegal to the quarter-finals after shock victories over reigning champions France and Sweden.

He becomes City's second major capture of the summer after Welsh international midfielder Robbie Savage moved across the midlands from Leicester.

But it will be another week before Cisse joins up full-time with his new team-mates as Blues manager Steve Bruce is to give him an extra week off to recover from his World Cup exertions.

Cisse said: "I am looking forward to playing in England and I know Steve Bruce from his time at Manchester United where he was a very good aggressive player, a very good header of the ball.

"Birmingham are new to the Premiership and I am looking forward to the challenge. I adore the Premiership and I adore English football.

"You should aim high as a player and for me playing in the World Cup and now the Premiership is my way of doing that. To play at this level will mean so much to me."

Cisse can look forward to a quick re-match with Patrick Vieira after Senegal's shock 1-0 win over France in the opening game of the World Cup for Birmingham's Premiership bow will be at Arsenal.