Cardiff City have announced that they have accepted an offer from Birmingham City for Roger Johnson and have given the highly-rated defender permission to discuss a possible move to St Andrews with the Premier League new-boys.

The news comes just 24 hours after the Bluebirds chairman Peter Risdale admitted that the club would listen be willing to listen to offers of £5million for the 26-year-old, after Johnson had expressed a desire to leave the club for a move to the top-flight.

Having identified Johnson as a top summer transfer target, Blues boss Alex McLeish had been frustrated in his attempts to land the player after he saw two initial offers turned down by the Ninian Park oufit.

However, having now matched Cardiff's valuation, McLeish appears to be closing in on the centre-back, who has played over 130 games for the Welsh club since joining in a £275,000 deal from Wycome in 2006 and was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year last season.

A Cardiff statement read: "We can officially confirm that we have come to a financial agreement with Birmingham City Football Club for the permanent transfer of Roger Johnson.

"Roger has now been given permission to talk to the newly promoted Premiership side."

The imminent arrival of Johnson will bring McLeish's summer recruits up to four having already secured the signings of Coventry defender Scott Dann, Ecuadorian hitman Christian Benitez and Manchester City shot-stopper Joe Hary, who has joined on a season-long loan deal.

Meanwhile, the former Scotland boss is also hoping to tie up a deal for Ecuador international defender Giovany Espinoza, while talks are understood to be continuing with Scottish champions Rangers for midfielder Barry Ferguson.