Roger Johnson set to complete Wolves switch

John Curtis,Pa
Tuesday 12 July 2011 05:34 EDT
Comments
Johnson held talks with Wolves officials at Molineux yesterday morning
Johnson held talks with Wolves officials at Molineux yesterday morning (GETTY IMAGES)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Roger Johnson is poised to sign for Wolves in a £7m move after admitting Birmingham's relegation from the Barclays Premier League was a key factor in him wanting to leave St Andrew's.

The central defender held talks with Wolves officials at Molineux yesterday morning before undergoing a medical.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has been pursuing Johnson throughout the summer and has stepped up his efforts after losing out to Leicester in the race to sign Matt Mills from Reading.

Johnson said: "We're half-way there. It wasn't an easy decision. I enjoyed my time at Birmingham but relegation half made the decision for me.

"I want to be in the Premier League and I'm sure everyone can appreciate that. But I enjoyed my time at Birmingham."

City had initially been hoping to secure around £10 million for Johnson. But a compromise has been reached between the two clubs.

Lifelong Chelsea fan Johnson moved from Cardiff to Birmingham in a £5 million deal two years ago.

He quickly adjusted to the top flight and formed an effective partnership with Scott Dann, another Championship player with Coventry.

Meanwhile Aston Villa have reached agreement with Birmingham over the compensation paid to the Carling Cup holders following manager Alex McLeish's move across the city.

McLeish resigned as Blues boss after three and a half years at St Andrew's last month and eventually took charge at Villa as Gerard Houllier's successor.

Birmingham demanded Villa pay them compensation for the remaining two years of McLeish's contract and initially threatened legal action.

But the possibility of a battle between the two clubs has now been removed via confirmation in a statement issued by City.

Birmingham's joint first team coach, Peter Grant, and City's chief medical officer, Dr Ian McGuinness, are also moving to Villa.

The statement read: "Birmingham City and Aston Villa can confirm that agreement has been reached between the parties ending the legal disputes surrounding Alex McLeish's departure.

"Aston Villa has agreed to pay Birmingham City an undisclosed figure following negotiations whereby the parties have agreed to bring to an end all disputes, including the further recruitment of Peter Grant and Dr Ian McGuinness by Aston Villa."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in