ALBION have completed the signing of their first-choice goalkeeping target, Ben Foster, on a season-long loan from Blues.
The 28-year-old passed a medical this afternoon and his arrival follows the departure of his former England international colleague Scott Carson, who joined Turkish team Bursaspor earlier this month.
Boaz Myhill is moving in the opposite direction on a season-long loan to City. Neither club have the option to recall their keeper.
Foster, Blues' Player of the Season last term, could make his Baggies debut in tomorrow's pre-season clash at Bristol City (ko 3pm).
And head coach Roy Hodgson is delighted the club have secured the services of the 6ft2in custodian.
"We are very, very happy that the deal to bring Ben from Birmingham has gone through," said Hodgson.
"He was always the goalkeeper that we targeted as our No.1 choice for the season.
"We are hoping he will be as successful here as he has been with his previous clubs.
"We are confident Ben is the goalkeeper we need to help us enjoy a successful season in the Barclays Premier League."
Foster joined Blues from Manchester United last summer and started all 38 of their Barclays Premier League games.
He was named man of the match as he helped City clinch their first major trophy in 48 years by beating Arsenal 2-1 in February's Carling Cup Final.
It was the third time in as many seasons the Leamington-born keeper has earned a League Cup winner's medal.
Foster was an unused substitute with United in the previous year's final.
But, in the 2009 showpiece, he memorably viewed iPod clips moments before saving Jamie O'Hara's spot-kick in a penalty shoot-out with Tottenham - a day when he was also named man of the match.
A month later, Foster made his second appearance for England as a half-time substitute in a 4-0 win over Slovakia - two years after making his debut against Spain.
Last May, and with five caps to his name, Foster declared he was putting his international ambitions on hold in a bid to prolong his club career.
Albion's sporting & technical director, Dan Ashworth, added: "We are absolutely delighted to have signed a goalkeeper of the calibre of Ben, who has just enjoyed an excellent season at Birmingham.
"He was our top goalkeeping target during this summer transfer window and it's great we have managed to bring him here.
"I have contacted several managers and coaches who have previously worked with Ben and they all spoke very highly of him, both as a professional and as a person."
Foster's arrival has strengthened the goalkeeping department following Carson's departure and the club will now look to recruit a replacement for Myhill.
Ashworth added: "We wish Boaz all the best at Birmingham during the coming season and we are now targeting another goalkeeper to provide competition for Ben."
The left-footed Foster started out at local club Racing Club Warwick and was plucked from non-league football by Stoke as an 18-year-old in April 2001.
He spent four years with the Potters, during which time he had loan spells at Bristol City, Kidderminster and Wrexham, where he won the 2005 Football League Trophy and was first spotted by Sir Alex Ferguson.
In July 2005, he made a dream £1million switch to United and was sent out on loan to Watford to gain first-team experience.
He spent two years at Vicarage Road, helping the Hornets seal promotion to the Barclays Premier League via the play-offs in his first season, keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 final victory over Leeds at the Millennium Stadium.
Foster's star continued to rise the following term when his performances earned him Watford's 2006/07 Player-of-the-Season Award.
His form convinced Sir Alex to take him back to Old Trafford where he impressed in a 1-0 Barclays Premier League win over Derby on his Red Devils debut in March 2008.
His second competitive outing for United came in a Champions League Group draw at Celtic the following November.
Injury to Edwin Van der Sar during the first two months of the 2009/10 season saw Foster make eight successive top-flight starts.
But the Dutch legend's return to fitness meant he had to play second fiddle again and at the end of the campaign, he made a permanent switch to the second city to become Blues' No.1.
In total, Foster has made 170 club appearances.
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