Tony Mowbray drops big Alex Pritchard transfer hint after Sunderland contract standoff escalates

Tony Mowbray has hinted that Birmingham City are to ready to try and capitalise on Alex Pritchard's contract dispute with Sunderland.

The uncertainty over Pritchard's future on Wearside escalated on Saturday after the attacking midfielder made himself unavailable for selection ahead of Stoke City's visit to the Stadium of Light. Pritchard has rejected an offer of a one-year extension and wants to be allowed to take up a longer deal elsewhere for greater security.

There is interest from Turkey but Sunderland sources say they have not yet had a bid, and do not want to let him depart on a free - especially to a Championship rival. Mowbray is known to be keen on a reunion and little to dampen the speculation on Saturday.

"Let Sunderland get on with their business and wait and see what happens in the next five days," Mowbray said.

"What I do know is Alex Pritchard is a player with personality and character, wonderful ball manipulation and great dead ball skills. We will wait and see how it develops. He is not our player, he is somebody I shouldn’t be talking about I suppose, but we will see how things develop over the next four or five days.”

Mowbray has already begun to overhaul his Birmingham City squad, signing Andre Dozzell on loan from QPR. The Blues are understood to be close to a deal to sign South Korean midfielder Paik Sueng-Ho and Pritchard would obvious class to their options.