Martin O'Neill yesterday signalled his intention to oversee a major overhaul of his Aston Villa squad this summer by informing six fringe players that the Midlands club will listen to offers for them. Curtis Davies, Luke Young, Nigel Reo-Coker, Steve Sidwell, Nicky Shorey and Habib Beye – who all struggled to hold down a first-team place last season – were told they could leave provided Villa's valuation of them is met.
All six players were O'Neill signings but few made an impression during the last campaign – only two of the group, Sidwell and Young, started more than 10 Premier League matches – as the Villa manager resisted the temptation to chop and change his side. With Randy Lerner, the Villa chairman, expected to be more circumspect in the transfer market this summer, O'Neill may well have reasoned that selling those on the periphery is necessary to generate funds to bring in fresh blood and strengthen.
Davies, who was in Fabio Capello's thoughts last season but was unable to win his Villa place back at the turn of the year after returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines following shoulder surgery, is likely to attract the biggest fee. Signed for £9m a little under two years ago, the central defender was hailed as a future Villa captain when he joined the club from West Bromwich Albion but he has been unable to dislodge the successful centre-back pairing of Richard Dunne and James Collins.
Reo-Coker's future looked to be in doubt from the moment that he clashed with O'Neill on the training field near the start of the season. There appears little chance of Villa recouping anywhere near the £8.5m they paid West Ham United for the midfielder. Sidwell also seemed destined to leave following another frustrating season when he failed to recapture the form that led to a move from Reading to Chelsea before he signed for Villa.
Shorey, who has spent much of this season on loan, enjoying spells at Nottingham Forest and Fulham, will have been resigned to leaving, although Villa supporters will be disappointed to see Young depart. The former England international, who is expected to join Fulham, received a rousing ovation when he was introduced as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday and can count himself unfortunate to have lost his place to Carlos Cuéllar last season.
