Kapo’s transfer from Birmingham to Wigan turns into a fine mess

Olivier Kapo's £3.5million move to Wigan Athletic seemed set to collapse following an unseemly £60,000 squabble with Birmingham City.

The former France midfielder was asked to write off a fine of two weeks' wages - but he refused and has threatened to stay put.

The spat started when Kapo was told by managing director Karren Brady he would be fined after returning a day late to pre-season training.

The player claimed he was having an operation on his arm in Monaco. But his failure to inform manager Alex McLeish landed him in trouble.

The row brought back memories of manager Steve Bruce's messy move just eight months ago when a huge argument flared over an image rights pay-off, souring relations between the two parties.

Yesterday, Birmingham were up to similar tricks. Brady was insistent that Kapo signed a waiver before they would agree to release his registration forms, even though a £3.5m deal was being jeopardised. Birmingham's managing director wanted the former Juventus player to give up his right to that appeal before approving the move.

However, a furious Kapo has pulled the plug and has now informed the PFA who will now take up the battle on his behalf.

Wigan are due to fly out on their pre-season tour to Austria this afternoon and are still confident the deal can be done by then, with the player joining them later this week.

Ideally, Bruce wants the deal sorted out before the flight, but is prepared to wait.

Kapo needs to return to France today to have the pins removed in his wrist. It is not known, if no deal is done, whether he would then join Birmingham on their tour, also to Austria. If Kapo does move he will tread the same path asWilson Palacios and Daniel de Ridder, who have followed Bruce to the JJB Stadium.

Palacios was signed by Bruce in the January transfer window and played a key role in their successful fight against relegation, and De Ridder joined him earlier this month despite hardly featuring last season.

Even before Bruce arrived at Wigan, players were moving up the M6 from the West Midlands. Emile Heskey became Wigan's record signing when he joined for £5.5m in 2006, and a summer later Mario Melchiot left St Andrew's and moved to the JJB on a free transfer.