O'Leary looks to loan signings

David O’Leary has admitted he will only be able to bring in loan signings during the January transfer window, with his number one target a central defender.

O’Leary, who has constantly been linked with Chelsea’s Robert Huth, has only two recognised centre-backs in Olof Mellberg and Liam Ridgewell.

Martin Laursen is sidelined for the remainder of the campaign after undergoing knee surgery while rookie Gary Cahill is also currently injured.

But any newcomer will only be arriving on a short-term basis with O’Leary not having any funds to buy next month.

O’Leary told PA Sport: “The bottom line is, if anything is coming in next month it will have to be on loan. We won’t be buying because there won’t be any money really.

“You wouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist to say a target for me will be a central defender! Thank God Olof and Liam have managed to stay fit.

“In my first year here, we had to get the wage bill reduced drastically and get a lot of players out. Centre-halves went out of the club like Ronny Johnsen, Steve Staunton, Ozalan Alpay and Dion Dublin who had then moved back from being a striker.

“That left Olof Mellberg. We brought in Martin Laursen to compensate for those four leaving but we’ve had hardly any use out of him.”

Meanwhile, O’Leary is urging the club’s board of directors to ensure that midfielder Steven Davis signs a new long-term contract.

The Northern Ireland international has only 18 months to run of his current deal and O’Leary has earmarked him as a player who can play a big part in Villa’s future.

He said: “I know the agent has been down to see the board. I think it is important that player is signed for the future of the football club without a doubt.”

O’Leary has praised his side for bouncing back from the nightmare showing in the Carling Cup at Doncaster and they have collected eight points from their last four league games, sandwiched either side of that shock 3-0 reversal.

He said: “We were all disappointed with what happened at Doncaster but we’ve come from behind in two tough away games at Newcastle and Bolton since then and are on a good run of form in the Premier League."