McLeish has been in charge at Birmingham since November 2007

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish will be offered an improved contract once Blues owner Carson Yeung and chairman Peter Pannu return from the World Cup.

McLeish, 51, has been eager to finalise negotiations prior to the new season.

"If players are attracted to come to Birmingham and play under myself and my coaches, they have to know my future is with Birmingham," insisted the Scot.

Pannu confirmed: "There will be improved terms presented to Alex after I meet with Carson in South Africa."

Birmingham first-team coach Roy Aitken left St Andrew's to join Al Ahli in Dubai on Wednesday.

But former Scotland and Rangers boss McLeish, who has 12 months remaining on his current deal, has been keen to commit his own future to the West Midlands side.

606: DEBATE He has unfinished business here and was always going to sign. He would be mad to leave a Premiership club which has owners willing to give him cash for who he wants TAITY_RAVE_ON

McLeish said: "My lawyer saw Peter about two weeks ago. They had a very amicable conversation and negotiations. We left it with Peter and the board to come back to us, so we now await the decision."

And Birmingham chairman Pannu is confident the club and McLeish can come to an agreement: "We have had extensive talks with Alex and his representative.

"His agent told us what he wants and we told his agent we will be revisiting the terms and we are currently putting together a new package.

"Whether Alex accepts, or doesn't, is purely speculative, so there is no point in me talking about that.

"We don't want people to think that we don't want Alex to stay, just as we don't want people to think that Carson or myself are being pressurised.

"Alex is our manager, we are planning for the new season, and I don't see there being problems."

After finishing ninth in the Premier League last season McLeish has been busy shaping his squad for the new campaign.

The Scot has brought in 6ft 8in Serbia striker Nikola Zigic, who signed for Blues from Valencia for £6m in May and goalkeeper Ben Foster from Manchester United who joined the club for an undisclosed fee.

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