It’s taken a little while, but Alex McLeish has strengthened the Birmingham squad even more ahead of the new season by taking a gamble on a Spartak Moscow player who will be a familiar name to many Arsenal supporters.

The Birmingham Mail reports that Quincy Owuse-Abeyie has arrived at St Andrews on a season-long loan deal, with a view to making it permanent if it’s a success. As the player is keen to point out, he made a right hash of things at Arsenal when presented with a golden opportunity, and he’s now determined to get his career back on track in the Championship.

“I’ve yet to fulfil my promise, that’s how I feel,” said the former Ajax youth player.

“I was young. I went to Arsenal when I was 16 and left when I was 18. I didn’t really do enough to show what I was capable of.”

He added: “When you come off the pitch you can get influenced. You can let it get to your head. You have to stay strong and be focused.

“That’s where I went wrong, I was not focused enough. I should have taken the opportunities I had more seriously.”

It appears that Birmingham were nearly beaten to Quincy’s signature at the death by a Premier League club, something which would have been karma when you consider that the Blues did a number on Cardiff with Marcus Bent. Even so, they now have a very threatening strikeforce available - do you think that Big Eck needed to take this gamble?

Watch Arsenal live online

Watch Birmingham live online