Aston Villa Strain To Keep Star

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Aston Villa are set to hold talks with defender Martin Laursen in an attempt to tie him down to a new deal. Laursen’s contract runs out next summer and if O’Neill doesn’t secure his commitment by getting him to sign a new contract he could go for nothing in the summer, or for a drastically-reduced bargain-basement fee in January.

Martin O’Neill told the Aston Villa website:

“I spoke to Martin and told him I’d be sitting down with his agent. I phoned Luca and said I’d meet him next week but if the players are free to speak to people, and they are capable of speaking to people and it’s not the deal they had hoped for, then it’s entirely their prerogative.”

Laursen has been a rejuvenated performer of late under O’Neill, or could it be more to do with the fact that as his contract is running out he is firmly in the shop window?