OLIVIER BERNARD is set to make his Saints debut at Birmingham tonight - but could easily have been lining up AGAINST Harry Redknapp's men at St Andrews.

The 25-year-old joined Saints on a free transfer from Newcastle on transfer window deadline day.

But Redknapp has confessed he thought he might have lost him when Birmingham made a last-minute approach for the Frenchman.

He said: "At six or seven o'clock on Monday night Bernard was here with his agent and we thought we'd taken him on a free.

"We'd done the deal with the boy and then the agent gets a phone call from Birmingham, who want him up there immediately.

"They offered him a lot more money than we were paying him so it looked like we might lose him.

"But to be fair to the agent and the boy they'd made a deal with us and stuck by it and signed."

A Birmingham source confirmed that City were prepared to nearly double the salary Saints were offering.

Redknapp is poised to hand his other transfer deadline day signing, Henri Camara, his debut alongside Peter Crouch as Saints revert to 4-4-2 for the clash against the out-of-form hosts.

Bernard could play on the left-hand side of midfield with Mikael Nilsson dropping out of the side that beat Pompey.

"They'll both do well for us," said Redknapp. "Bernard I've been a fan of for a long time. He's a top class left back, a top class player and can play in midfield as well.

"To take him on a free transfer was a great result for us.

"I was surprised I got him and even more surprised I got him for nothing.

"Camara did well at Wolves and had a good run of scoring goals at the end of last season.

"At Celtic it was difficult for him to get in the team with Hartson and Sutton there and now Bellamy joining, which meant they could afford to let him go.

"He's got pace and we need that in our team."

Saints go in search of their third successive win tonight - a feat they haven't managed since the start of last season - and Redknapp is happy to blood his two latest signings.

He added: "I've no problems putting them in at all. Bernard's only missed a few games for Newcastle all season.

"He's been almost an ever present.

"Camara's been playing in bits and pieces at Celtic but had a problem getting in the team."

Camara last started a league match for Celtic last November, but has made six substitute appearances since.

Saints slipped four points adrift of safety last night when fourth-from-bottom Crystal Palace bagged a late, late leveller in a 2-2 relegation scrap at rock bottom West Brom.