O’Neill: ‘Laursen replacement imperative’

The latest contribution from Gareth Freeman at Betfair:

Martin O'Neill has admitted that he is on the look-out for a new commanding centre-half in order to help his Aston Villa team cement their place among the Premier League elite.

The Irishman claims it is evident that his squad is wafer-thin having lost Gareth Barry to Manchester City and selling Zat Knight to Bolton, while the loss of influential centre-back Martin Laursen, who was forced to retire following a long-standing knee complaint, has been seen by many as a gap which needs plugging.

Despite the signing of Habib Beye from Newcastle, O'Neill has identified the centre of his defence as an area which desperately needs new faces and he has been linked with moves for Sylvain Distin and Richard Dunne in recent weeks.

The manager said he hopes to have some new faces arriving in Villa Park before the Premiership transfer deadline on September 1st.

"It goes without saying that defensively we are still looking for a Martin Laursen-type player and it is not easy in this day and age," added O'Neill.

"We know that we have about a week to get the squad together."

Following an opening day home defeat against Wigan, Aston Villa turned many heads when they gained an unfancied 3-1 victory away at Anfield on Monday night.

If O’Neill achieves his ambition and enhances his squad in the next week, then there could be a flurry of Premiership football bets for his team to move on and challenge for the European spots come the end of the season.

The signings of Fabian Delph and Stewart Downing have bolstered the team's already blessed midfield, however their bid for European qualification could be hit as England winger Downing is not expected to return from injury until December following his £12 million move from Middlesbrough.