We're not in big spending league, says O'Leary

David O’Leary has admitted he is paying the price for the big spending sprees of previous managerial regimes at Aston Villa.

O’Leary is having to try and bring in players on short-term contracts or on loan after chairman Doug Ellis admitted Villa no longer have the financial clout of many Premiership clubs.

He said the days of Villa bringing in multi-million pound signings such as Stan Collymore, Paul Merson, Juan Pablo Angel, Bosko Balaban and Alpay are gone.

O’Leary has had his hands tied since arriving at the club 20 months ago while flops such as Balaban and Alpay, whose cost £12m (€17m) between them, have had to be paid off.

He said: “There has been a lot of money spent. A lot of people have left like Balaban and Alpay and they have had to be paid off.

“Then there are people like Peter Crouch. He was bought by Villa for £5m (€7.1m) and then sold for £2m (€2.8m). It all adds up.

“People stop me and say ‘Why haven’t you bought (Jean-Alain) Boumsong or (Jermain) Defoe’. I haven’t got the money. We’re in the pack with the Charltons and Birminghams of this world.”

O’Leary is continuing to try and bring in new blood before the January transfer window closes after losing out to Birmingham in the battle to sign Liverpool midfielder Salif Diao.

Meanwhile, midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger and striker Darius Vassell are expected to continue their comeback from injury in tonight’s reserve game with Wolves at Telford.

Hitzlsperger featured as a substitute in Saturday’s 3-0 Premiership win over Norwich – his first senior action since late November.

Vassell was not considered for that game after making his return from a broken ankle in the final half hour of a reserve game with Manchester United last Thursday.