Birmingham City’s interest in Dundee star Greg Stewart cools

[News Bot]

Birmingham City’s long-standing pursuit of in-demand Dark Blues attacker Greg Stewart appears to have cooled.

On Monday night The Blues completed the £2 million signing of striker Che Adams from Sheffield United.

And with budget tight at St Andrews, Gary Rowett is believed to be considering whether to push for more funds from his board to compete for Stewart or abandon his pursuit of the Dundee forward.

The Dark Blues remain reluctant sellers.

While they will deal with prospective buyers, they’re still asking for a considerable sum for Stewart.

So far they have rejected two bids, one from Birmingham and the other from an unnamed English Football League outfit.

The Tele has learned from sources at the club that the fee of £375,000 plus add-ons, quoted in national titles as the sum wanted by the Dens Park board, is still some way wide of the mark.

The club still value the player in the region of £1.5 million.

While there is an acceptance they may not get market value for their man, with just a year left on Stewart’s contract, they are holding out for more than the £300,000 bid, or even the £375,000 quoted.

But given recent dealings, it’s fair to say they could easily be playing hardball on this one, as they attempted to do unsuccessfully with Kane Hemmings.

Sources in the Midlands suggest Birmingham just do not have that kind of cash to throw about this summer, having added Adams using the majority of their summer transfer kitty.

But that does not mean they are out of the race for his signature.

Blues boss Rowett is keen to add a wide forward to his ranks to complement Adams, and has in recent weeks been linked with Will Buckley, who has ended up at Sheffield Wednesday as well as Derby County forward Johnny Russell, formerly of city rivals Dundee United.

This week Oxford United and QPR are understood to have entered the race for Stewart.

The 26-year-old, who has previously expressed his desire to leave Dens Park in order to test himself at a higher level, has previously been targeted by Derek McInnes at Aberdeen, as well as Rangers, Hearts, Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic.

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