European clubs keeping tabs on Kerim

KERIM Mrabti is attracting interest from across Europe, the Birmingham Mail understands.

The Swedish midfielder only joined Blues from Djugaardens in January on an 18-month contract, which includes the option of an extra year.

Mrabti made 12 appearances for Blues last season, but half of those came from the bench under Garry Monk. He scored his first goal for the club in the 3-1 win at Rotherham in April.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a decent pre-season under caretaker head coach Pep Clotet, featuring regularly in the friendly fixtures before starting the League campaign on the bench at Brentford.

He missed Blues’ 1-1 draw against Bristol City in the Championship on Saturday with a hamstring injury and watched from the sidelines as Dan Crowley and Spanish new boy Fran Villalba impressed alongside Lukas Jutkiewicz in attack.

Mrabti isn’t agitating for a move away from Blues but a number of teams have expressed an interest in the playmaker, including German positive, taking the three points, it was not.”

Rowe latched on to Kasey Palmer’s defence-splitting pass to drill beyond Lee Camp and end Clotet and Blues’ 100 per cent start to the league season.

“Wes (Harding) was in the position in between,” Clotet said. “When you club Hamburg and Portuguese outfit Braga. European sides have until September 2 to complete their transfer business.

Meanwhile, Jefferson Montero’s loan move to Blues was sanctioned by Swansea’s board, not their manager, Steve Cooper.

The 29-year-old completed the switch late on transfer deadline day.

“Jefferson has never really been in the mix,” said Cooper. “I don’t know too much about that. He’s one that Trevor Birch (chairman) and the board have dealt with.” are defending with five it can be difficult. We were too far from covering Palmer to allow that pass, we should have tackled him in the first place.

“I agree, we need to work a lot to be better in those situations. But it was a perfect ball, a perfect run and a perfect finish.

“We feel frustrated because we worked hard to be ahead and our level was even to theirs. I like to see the team on the right track.”

Spaniard Villalba was thrown into the action as a St Andrew’s starter after only completing two training sessions with his new colleagues.

Clotet admitted his countryman, who only signed last Wednesday, had made a compelling case for inclusion.

“He’s a strong character and he was desperate to play,” he said. “He was pushing the Spanish FA and us to make sure the clearance was on time.

“The whole of Friday night he was desperate to play, he’d really love to succeed here. When you see these kinds of things, you know it’s in your favour.”