Alex McLeish, the Birmingham City manager, believes that James McFadden, who is on the verge of completing a £5.75 million transfer from Everton, has the mentality and technical ability to flourish in the Barclays Premier League once he gets a regular run.

McLeish hopes that the Scotland forward, 24, will sign in time to face Chelsea at St Andrew’s tomorrow should his medical and personal terms prove more readily negotiable than Everton’s willingness to accept anything below the going rate. Birmingham have certainly put their money where their mouth is by allowing McLeish to sign a player who has never established himself at Goodison Park despite becoming a hero of McLeish’s spell as Scotland manager.

“McFadden is one of these - it’s a Glasgow word we use - ‘gallas’, a person who is unfazed by challenges put in front of him, who fancies his chances, has the bottle and mentality,” McLeish said. “And the thing about James McFadden is that he definitely has the technique as well.”

The Birmingham manager has also completed the £1.5 million signing of David Murphy, the left back, from Hibernian and is bringing Mauro Zarate, an Argentine striker, in on loan from Al Sadd, of Qatar. “Murphy is more of a dynamic full back. He will get forward, it’s in his armoury. That’s something I like in full backs,” McLeish said, adding of Zarate, 20: “[He] is one we hope can turn games, [with] great balance and mobility. He is comfortable running with the ball and caressing it.”

Birmingham have been granted permission to speak to Gary Cahill, the Aston Villa defender whose £5 million price tag has scared off Derby County. The former England Under-21 player, who is also attracting interest from Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland, would prefer to go back on loan to Sheffield United, where he impressed in a three-month stint before Christmas, so that he can return to Villa Park in the summer. Villa’s interest in Jermain Defoe is said to be dwindling.

Everton yesterday landed an £8 million, three-year sponsorship deal with Chang, the Asian drinks giant.