The Birmingham City board is due to meet today, but it is not only the future of Steve Bruce, the club’s manager, who seems set to join Wigan Athletic, that will be on the agenda. It has emerged that Carson Yeung, who had been set to complete his takeover of the club by next month, is asking for the deadline to be extended.

Bruce, frustrated that his new contract cannot be ratified while the club have been in the process of being sold to the Hong Kong businessman, looks likely to sever his ties at St Andrew’s, should he be allowed permission to speak to Wigan. But Birmingham may now also insist that Wigan meet their demands for compensation for Eric Black, Bruce’s assistant, whom they would be equally loath to lose as he would be an ideal caretaker while Birmingham’s future is clarified.

Yeung, who bought a 29.9 per cent stake in the club in July for around £15 million, wants to extend the agreed deadline of December 20 as it is understood his consortium is struggling to raise funds. David Sullivan, the Birmingham plc chairman, has consistently maintained that there will be no extension, so Yeung could be forced to pull out, leaving Birmingham back at square one – only, in all probability, without a manager.

–– Chris Coleman said he was ready to resign as coach of Real Sociedad after the departure of MarÍa de la Peña, the club president, who played an influential role in taking the Welshman to San Sebastián this summer. De la Peña stepped down last night. “The directors said: ‘We want you to stay, it is very important,’ ” Coleman said.