Birmingham City have become favourites to sign Barnsley defender Marc Roberts, according to a reliable football journalist.

Alan Nixon is reporting via his Twitter account that Birmingham City have bid "good money" for Marc Roberts and now lead the chase.

Premier League outfit Burnley are also in the hunt to sign Marc Roberts but Harry Redknapp is trying to act quickly and bring him to St Andrew's.

Marc Roberts was one of the standout performers for Barnsley last season as they secured a mid-table finish despite losing a number of their best players.

Paul Heckingbottom is trying to build a decent squad to push on next season and has drafted in Liam Lindsay from Partick Thistle.

The arrival of the highly-rated young Scotsman could throw the future of Marc Roberts into question.

Birmingham are keen on bolstering their defence next season and Roberts has been seen as the ideal target.

The 26-year-old has had to wait for his chance at this level after only leaving non-league football in summer 2015.

Roberts, who is now the captain of Barnsley following Conor Hourihane's move to Aston Villa, is a no-nonsense centre-half who fits the bill as a physical defender for Birmingham City.

Birmingham's current options include the experienced Paul Robinson, Ryan Shotton and Michael Morrison.

The Blues now lead the race to sign Marc Roberts and Nixon speculated over whether Burnley would react.

Birmingham fans - would you like to sign Marc Roberts? Let us know below...