Villa poised to seal £6m Dunne deal

ASTON VILLA look set to add Ireland international and Manchester City skipper Richard Dunne to their squad after they yesterday reached an agreement with City over a fee for the 29-year-old.

Dunne has spent the last nine years at City, clocking up close to 300 appearances, but the arrival of Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott means his days look numbered as a first-choice player.

The midlands club will reportedly pay £6 million (€6.8 million) to the Eastlands outfit and Dunne looks set to compliment the club’s only other two centre-backs, Carlos Cuellar and Curtis Davies, the latter dogged by a shoulder problem.

The Dubliner has been sent off eight times in the Premier League, equalling the record number of dismissals held by Patrick Vieira and Duncan Ferguson.

Villa also completed the signing of Blackburn defender Stephen Warnock last night for an undisclosed fee — believed to be around £8m (€9m).

Martin O’Neill has been searching relentlessly to strengthen his back four after inspirational captain Martin Laursen was forced to retire through injury.

His numbers were further reduced after he agreed to off-load central defender Zat Knight to Bolton.

Villa also agreed a fee with Portsmouth for Sylvain Distin but he is likely to move to Everton as a replacement for Joleon Lescott.

Warnock has put pen to paper on a four-year contract which will keep him at Villa Park until the summer of 2013.

The 27-year-old could come into contention for Sunday’s home Premier League game with Fulham.

A Villa statement read: “Aston Villa have completed the signing of Stephen Warnock on a four-year deal.

“We can also confirm that a fee has been agreed with Manchester City for defender Richard Dunne. The player will now discuss terms on a move to Villa Park.”

Warnock has made 87 appearances in two years at Ewood Park since moving from Liverpool.

He earned his one England cap to date as a substitute against Trinidad and Tobago during the summer of 2008.

Warnock is relishing the challenge of breaking into the Premier League top four after making the move from Blackburn to Villa.

“The main aim is pushing for that top four spot. That’s the ambition,” he said.

“The manager is buying some really talented players — young and ambitious — and I’m sure they will see that top four spot as a target and goal.

“Playing in Europe is important — playing against the top players on the continent is fantastic — and there’s no better stage to do that than on the Champions League. If we could do that, it’d be a great achievement.”