Hibs braced for fresh Birmingham bid to snare Calderwood

The Easter Road outfit have already reportedly knocked back a compensation offer of 300,000 from the Midlands side but Birmingham haven't given up hope of having Calderwood link up again with Hughton following their successful spell together at Newcastle United.

But the English club have now resolved their compensation dispute with Aston Villa after Alex McLeish's shock switch to their near neighbours and will now turn their attention to finally securing the signature of the 46-year-old former Scotland defender.

Hibs today continued to decline to comment on the latest twist in a saga which has been running for almost a month with Nottingham Forest boss Steve McClaren incurring the wrath of Easter Road chairman Rod Petrie with a claim a return to the City Ground was Calderwood's first choice.

However, since then, there has been no further noises from Forest in regard to Calderwood, leaving, it would appear, Birmingham as his only suitors.

While Calderwood has made it clear he won't force the issue by walking out on Hibs, he has also failed to totally dismiss the possibility that he might move on after barely nine months in charge in Edinburgh.

Following Hibs' 3-1 win over East Fife at the weekend he said: "I want to be Hibernian manager until someone tells me that's changed one way or another, sacked or compensation." It would now appear Calderwood's fate lies in the hands of Petrie who has so far appeared determined not to lose a man who is Hibs' fifth manager in as many years.

Meanwhile, Hibs' Under-19 side went down 4-1 to pre- competition favourites Rosenborg in the second of their matches in the Jet-11 International Youth Tournament in Norway, Ross Caldwell claiming their consolation goal.

Now, with just one team progressing from the group stages, the young Hibees must beat Fredrikstad in their final match today while hoping Rosenborg lose to Sandefjord.