Carson Yeung, the Hong Kong-based businessman, intends to make Birmingham City the tenth Barclays Premier League club with foreign owners.

Yeung is the club’s major individual stakeholder after buying 29.9 per cent of the shares, primarily from co-own-ers, David Sullivan and the Gold brothers. The trio still hold 48 per cent of the shares, but Yeung says the £50 million deal will be completed soon.

“I expect to take control in a couple of months,” he said. “We are going through due diligence.”

He sees Birmingham as having the potential to be a Premier League force as well as a big name in his native China. “There’s a lot being written about them there because of my involvement with the club,” he said.

That reputation will be enhanced by the club touring China and setting up a player exchange scheme with Chinese clubs.