Police yesterday launched an early-morning raid on Birmingham City as part of their continuing investigation into corruption in football, although the West Midlands club made it clear that none of their employees, past or present, was implicated.

It is understood that the transfer of Aliou Cissé from Birmingham to Portsmouth in 2004, handled by Willie McKay, the agent, is allegedly at the centre of the visit to St Andrew's carried out by the City of London Police. McKay was arrested by its economic crimes unit in November - but not charged - as part of Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington's Quest inquiry into alleged “bungs” in the game.

“I don't need to clear my name,” McKay told The Times. “The Quest investigation has followed all the paperwork through and cleared me of any wrongdoings on transfers.”

When asked if he believed that he was the victim of a witch-hunt, he said: “That's your words not mine.” Previously, the agent had said: “A club chairman in the North West about three years ago told me, ‘It's your head they want.' I've been through everything, this investigation, that investigation - where's it all coming to?”

Cissé, initially brought to England from Montpellier in a £1.5million deal in 2002, left Birmingham for Portsmouth in August 2004. Having fallen out with Steve Bruce, then the Birmingham manager, the Senegal player was on the verge of joining Crystal Palace on loan when Portsmouth, managed by Harry Redknapp, signed him for £300,000.

A police spokesman said yesterday that the raid on Birmingham was “entirely separate from the Lord Stevens inquiry”. She added: “We can confirm that officers from the City of London Police executed a search warrant at a premises on Wednesday morning in connection with the ongoing investigation into football corruption.”

Birmingham issued a statement saying: “The club is co-operating fully with the police in their inquiries, which relate to an unconnected third party or third parties. For the avoidance of doubt, no one connected with the club has been questioned or arrested. No further comment will be made by the club.”

Controversy was the last thing Birmingham needed as they attempt to put the Eduardo da Silva episode behind them and focus on their attempt to avoid relegation. Maik Taylor, the goalkeeper, believes that Martin Taylor has the mental resilience to recover from the ordeal he has been through since the challenge that broke the Arsenal and Croatia striker's leg last month.

The defender returned from a three-game suspension in a reserve match with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday and played the entire 90 minutes of a 3-3 draw. However, the prospects of him reclaiming his place in Alex McLeish's first team when they play away to Reading on Saturday are limited. Radhi Jaidi, who was away with Tunisia playing in the African Cup of Nations when Taylor made his only three appearances in the Barclays Premier League this season, has re-established himself alongside Liam Ridgewell in central defence.

Maik Taylor spoke up for his namesake after many observers, including Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, and Cesc Fàbregas, the Arsenal midfield player, severely criticised the defender for a challenge he insisted was without malice. “It will be a relief to Martin just to get back playing,” Maik Taylor said. “He had got back in the first team and was playing really well. It was unfortunate what happened.

“It's great for him to be back. It's a shame to have heard some of the things that have been said. We all know what Tiny [Taylor] is all about. There is not a malicious bone in his body. It has all got blown out of proportion because of Arsène Wenger [the Arsenal manager] saying what he did after the game [that Taylor should be banned for life] in the heat of the moment.[]”