Tottenham misfit David Bentley claims to be speaking to Aston Villa with a view to a summer move to the West Midlands.
Bentley has endured a miserable season at White Hart Lane having left Blackburn on the hunt for Champions League football and has been all but shown the door by manager Harry Redknapp.
Redknapp is unlikely to recoup even half of the £16 million fee forked out by predecessor Juande Ramos for the England international.
However, Bentley, whose international career has nosedived since he looked like the real deal in the early days of Fabio Capello’s regime, is chomping at the bit to reach a resolution sooner rather than later.
"I'm in talks with Villa at the moment," Bentley is quoted as saying in The Sun.
I really don't want to say much more. But we'll see what happens. I'm hopeful of sorting it out as soon as possible."
Martin O’Neill is predictably keen to bolster his midfield after the inevitable £12 million departure of mainstay Gareth Barry to Manchester City earlier this month.
Bentley looks to have all the hallmarks of O'Neill's policy at Villa Park and will join fellow England internationals such as Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and Emile Heskey.