Portsmouth defender Djimi Traore says he is desperate to secure a permanent move to Birmingham.
The former Liverpool man, 29, is out of contract in the summer and has received offers from clubs in England and abroad.
However, having spent the last three months on loan at St Andrew’s, he says he is keen to remain with the newly-promoted side.
“The discussions between my agent and the club are still going on and we are looking for the right deal,” he told the Birmingham Mail.
“Yes, I’m keen to sign. I’ve had a few offers but my main priority is just Birmingham.
‘‘Of course, I enjoyed playing for the club last season and I said to my agent to do everything he can to make sure that I join Birmingham.
“Hopefully something will be completed over the next few weeks.”
However, Blues boss Alex McLeish has ruled out a move for fellow loanee Hameur Bouazza.
The Fulham winger joined on a temporary deal in January with an option to make it permanent for £3 million, but McLeish feels he is too expensive.
“We’ve got to be careful what we do with the resources that we’ve got and unfortunately Hameur is a little too rich for us,” he said.
On Traore, he added: “Our numbers are depleted and it makes sense to try to come to an agreement with Djimi.”