West Ham plan triple transfer raid on Birmingham - Exclusive

West Ham's new owners plan to raid their old club for three Birmingham stars - escalating the war with Carson Yeung even further.

Yeung is suing David Sullivan and David Gold after probing City’s finances following his £80million Blues takeover.

And Hammers’ duo Sullivan and Gold are willing to risk upsetting Yeung further with a triple swoop for Liam Ridgewell, Sebastian Larsson and Christian Benitez.

Defender Ridgewell and midfielder Larsson are both out of contract this summer and are talking to Brum over new long-term deals.

But their representatives are aware of interest from Upton Park as Sullivan rates the duo highly.

City are yet to agree improved terms with Ridgewell, 25, and Larsson, 24, who want big pay rises on their existing wages of £12,000 and £8,000-a-week respectively.

Brum could invoke a 12-month option on both men but West Ham reckon there is a question mark over whether they are valid under FIFA rules.

The Hammers would also like Birmingham’s Ecuador striker Benitez,23, if they secure their top-flight status.

Benitez is on loan from Mexican club Santos Laguna and City have a clause to buy him for £7m but boss Alex McLeish is undecided.

McLeish definitely wants Ridgewell and Larsson to stay as he looks to build a decent squad.

But the club refuse to put them among their top earners as they plan to buy a new left-back and Celtic’s Aiden McGeady to play right-midfield.

Birmingham set to land £11million Aiden McGeady this summer  

Now City’s stance may allow Sullivan to step in to steal Ridgewell - who started his career at West Ham - and Larsson away from St Andrews on the cheap.

Such a scenario would only increase the animosity between both clubs to new levels.

Birmingham’s former owners have received letters from City initiating two law suits following Yeung’s takeover in October.

Brum’s new regime have complained their predecessors took bonuses and management fees out after August last year despite losing £19.7m in 2008-09.

Yeung is also suing as he claims he was mislead into paying £1 a share for the club and wants some money back in an out-of-court settlement.

But Sullivan is standing firm and his priority is helping struggling West Ham survive in the top-flight and cutting the club’s £95m debts.

Sources at Upton Park also told MirrorFootball that boss Gianfranco Zola is in no immediate danger of the sack despite last week’s disastrous defeat to Bolton.