HITC Sport understands Birmingham have agreed deal for French defender Keita.
Birmingham City have agreed a deal to sign French defender Cheick Keita from Italian Serie B side Virtus Entella, HITC Sport understands from sources close to the club.
Keita has impressed in Serie B this season and the likes of Juventus and Torino have been credited with an interest in the full-back, while Newcastle and Aston Villa have also have also reportedly expressed an interest in Keita, according to the Sun.
Birmingham manager Gianfranco Zola
However, Birmingham City have moved quickly to agree a deal with Virtus Entella for Keita as Gianfranco Zola looks to bring in a new left-back this month.
Birmingham are set to pay a fee in the region of £1.5million for Keita and the player is due to undergo a medical at St Andrew’s.
Keita’s signing is something of a coup for Birmingham beating a number of top clubs to his signature.
Keita is a product of the famed Clairefontaine academy, and was on the books with French side Monaco before heading to Virtus Entella in the summer of 2014.
The 20-year-old is now set to become Zola’s fourth new signing of the month after the arrivals of Lukas Jutkiewicz, Craig Gardner and Emilo Nsue.
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