Mirror: Butland to Liverpool

Birmingham chief Peter Pannu admits the club's dire finances will force more sales next month - with Jack Butland leading the exodus.

Liverpool want the England keeper, 19, for £6million and the skint ­Championship club desperately needs the cash.

Blues owner Carson Yeung's assets have been frozen pending a money-laundering case in Hong Kong.

The club is up for sale and takeover talks are dragging on with Gianni Paladini and a Far East consortium.

But Pannu warned fans that more sales are inevitable in January to avoid City going into administration.

He is anxious to shift players from the wage bill - especially Nikola Zigic who collects over £50,000 a week at St Andrew's.

The giant striker, 32, is still proving hard to move on, but Butland is in demand.

Mirror Sport revealed in August that Birmingham had rejected a £6m Southampton offer for the shot-stopper, but City would happily accept that fee now.

Blues' acting-chairman Pannu explained: "I can't let this club run into the ground. The principle is to keep the club going.

"My top priority is to make sure this club stays afloat.

"If I do annoy the supporters and I do dispose of players, it will be to keep the club afloat. I just need to do what I have to do.

"There are players who are earning a lot of money here, at least five players I'd hope weren't earning that much.

"I rejected a £6m bid in the summer for our keeper Jack Butland from ­Southampton, but I might not be able to reject it if I get something similar now."

Source: Daily Mirror