Leicester City target Birmingham defender Martin Taylor

Leicester City have made an inquiry about Birmingham defender Martin Taylor.

City have asked the Premier League club about the availability of the 30-year-old centre-back, who has been unable to break into Birmingham's first team this season.

City are likely to favour a loan deal for the 6ft 4in defender, but Blues may prefer something more permanent.

However, discussions between the two clubs are said to be at a very early stage.

Taylor is out of contract at St Andrew's in the summer and Birmingham may have a one-year option, but they are unlikely to activate such a clause.

The former England Under-21 international has struggled to establish himself in the Blues side under boss Alex McLeish and has not made an appearance this season.

However, Taylor has been a success at Championship level and has featured prominently in both of Birmingham's successful promotion campaigns of the last three seasons.

He has also impressed while on loan at Norwich City in 2007 and turned down a £1.25million move to QPR in December that year.

City boss Nigel Pearson is keen to add cover for his defence.

With Aleksandar Tunchev still on the road to recovery, Pearson only has Wayne Brown, Jack Hobbs and Michael Morrison as recognised centre-backs, and on-loan left back Ryan McGivern had to play as an emergency centre-back against Sheffield United after Hobbs limped off.

Although Taylor is a tall defender, he is composed in possession and has been criticised in the past for trying to play too much football from the back.

Taylor, who can also play at right-back, is considered a good professional with a calm and pleasant nature, and would fit into Pearson's close-knit squad ethic.

Personalities throughout the game sprung to his defence when he committed the challenge that left Arsenal striker Eduardo with a horrific leg and ankle injury in February 2008.

Former team-mates and managers said it was not in Taylor's nature to be malicious, and that it was more of a clumsy challenge, but he nevertheless had to endure death threats.