Birmingham City new signing Alexander Hleb has revealed that he turned down offers from Tottenham, Liverpool and Benfica to sign for Alex McLeish's side.
Speaking after he was confirmed as a St Andrews player, Hleb said that Birmingham was not the only possible destination this transfer window.
"I had a few options - Liverpool, Tottenham and Benfica," Hleb said. "It was necessary to explore each one."
But Hleb was keen to explain why he chose Birmingham over the others - who could offer him European football this season.
"I wasn't able to come to an agreement with one of them," he continued. "But Birmingham clearly wanted to do the deal more than the others, which is why I made my choice."
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