COTTERILL HAS TO WIELD AXE AT BLOATED BLUES

STEVE COTTERILL admits Birmingham must sell to buy this month after blowing £35million in the last two windows.

Cotterill (above) is charged with stopping the rot after previous bosses were heavily backed by owners Trillion Trophy Asia – former gaffer Harry Redknapp brought in 14 players last summer. But Blues, who stayed up on the final day last term, are in the drop zone and in danger of breaking FFP rules.

Stephen Gleeson is due at Ipswich and on loan Arsenal duo Carl Jenkinson and Cohen Bramall are to be returned.

Tomasz Kuszczak also wants to go while Liam Walsh, David Cotterill, Emilio Nsue and Nicolai Brock-Madsen have left.

Ahead of today’s trip to Preston, boss Cotterill said: “We are still concentrating heavily on trying to balance the squad up a little bit – that means people going.

“Then there might only be short-term solutions until the summer.”