PAOLO Di Canio has revealed that a deal to take Paul Caddis to Birmingham on a permanent basis is close to being agreed.

The full-back, who joined the Championship outfit on a season-long loan in the summer, is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury but has impressed manager Lee Clark sufficiently this term to encourage the Blues boss to make a move for his services full-time in January.

A fortnight ago Di Canio intimated that Birmingham were not keen to come to any sort of arrangement, telling the local media: “They don’t take out their hair to keep him. We already asked one month ago ‘would you keep him, would you buy?’ Clark I know loves him but he said ‘let us think’.”

However, it now appears that the St Andrew’s chief has come to a decision, as Di Canio said negotiations are taking place to finalise the terms of the transfer.

“We have some players who are out, like Paul Caddis who wants to stay at Birmingham and Birmingham want to keep him, so we are talking and we will see if we can go through early in January,” he said.

It is uncertain whether any permanent switch for Caddis would affect the loan spell of Adam Rooney at the County Ground, although it is believed that the striker will remain with the Robins for the rest of the term whatever happens.

One player who is set for an SN1 exit, however, is Federico Bessone, who the Advertiser understands will leave Town next month whether he has found a new club or not.

Since joining Swindon on a short-term contract in the summer, the defender has struggled with injuries and is unlikely to be offered a new deal.

Striker Paul Benson, meanwhile, has said he wants to stay with Portsmouth - even if that means a drop back into League Two.

The frontman is on loan at Fratton Park from Town and scored his first goal for Pompey in their Boxing Day defeat to Crawley.

He told The News that he would love a chance to extend his stay on the south coast, saying: “I want to stay here as long as possible and help this club. If it is in League Two, then so be it.”

The transfer window opens in less than three days and Di Canio has said he is looking for midfielders to bolster his squad.

John Bostock’s loan spell from Tottenham expires in the first week of 2013, while Danny Hollands only has a matter of days left of his stint at the club, and Di Canio is targeting reinforcements in the middle of the park.

“We have to try because there is not high ambition from the others, or maybe to take the momentum, I have to do something,” he said.

“With many players now coming back with experience and the positive lights grow, why not try to bring in players who give me some extra quality in the midfield and also challenge for some places.”