RADHI Jaidi will complete a £2 million transfer to Birmingham City today, paving the way for Sam Allardyce to press ahead with his ambitious bid to sign Jonathan Woodgate.

The Wanderers boss is exploring the possibility of bringing the former Leeds and Newcastle defender back to the Premiership on an extended loan from Real Madrid.

And he moved a step nearer his goal yesterday when he gave Birmingham boss, Steve Bruce, the green light to sign Jaidi. The giant Tunisian defender has since passed a medical at St Andrew's and the agreed personal terms before signing a three-year contract, subject to him receiving the necessary work permit.

Birmingham announced that the transfer the £2m fee is thought to be dependent on appearances - was completed last night, but there were still formalities to be finalised, although nothing that is likely to prevent Jaidi linking up with his former Reebok team-mate, Bruno N'Gotty, who was freed by Wanderers at the end of last season and joined the Blues as a free agent last month.

Jaidi leaves Wanderers after two seasons in which he made 51 senior appearances, including 35 Premiership starts following his free transfer from Esperance de Tunis in July, 2004, after starring in Tunisia's African Nations Cup triumph earlier that year.

At 30 and a veteran of 88 internationals the latest coming when he played in all three games at the recent World Cup - he had sought assurances that he would be given more Premiership games next season. But he got his answer at the weekend when Allardyce, who had already signed Ivory Coast international, Abdoulaye Meite, from Marseille, confirmed he was considering an approach from Birmingham and that he already had a replacement in mind.

Woodgate could be the man, although Wanderers have refused to respond to speculation that they are trying to cut a loan deal with Madrid.

The 26-year-old England international, who moved from Newcastle to Real for £13.4m two years ago, is currently showing impressive progress in the latest in a series of comebacks from an injury nightmare that stretches back to April, 2004, when he tore a thigh muscle.

Although hailed in Spain for the determination he has shown in overcoming a number of fitness setbacks, Woodgate knows he could be struggling for games at the Bernabeu following the arrival of Italy's World Cup winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro.

There had been speculation he might return to Leeds United, where he spent much of the summer working out at the Yorkshire club's Thorpe Arch training headquarters. Newcastle are also rumoured to be interested, but Wanderers could now be in the driving seat.