O'Neill looks to splash the cash

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill will have no qualms about splashing the cash this summer to try to make his team a force to be reckoned with in the Barclays Premiership next season.

Villa bring the curtain down on their home campaign against Sheffield United today with O’Neill determined to ensure this time next term they are challenging for a place in Europe.

He will be backed by the cash of the club’s American billionaire owner, Randy Lerner, this summer and is looking forward to the challenge.

O’Neill said: “If there is a certain amount of money available to improve the team then that is exciting.

“There is no fear factor so far as I am concerned. The reason is that people do not care how much you spend if you are winning games. But if you are losing people will remember every single penny.

“If you look at the top clubs there has been significant investment in their sides. That doesn’t mean automatic success but it should give you a better chance if you are reasonably astute in the market.

“There is a need for a certain amount of time to put a structure in place. There is a general excitement about the place with a new training ground to be used next season and I feel better equipped for the future.

“If I have an opportunity to improve the team I am not going to spurn it.”

O’Neill’s main concern is that with clubs knowing Lerner is bankrolling the club, and the fact that the cash generated from the Premiership’s TV deal is about to increase, transfer fees could go through the roof.

He added: “When there is more TV money around the prices for players automatically go up. A player you think might improve your team at £3million you might suddenly find out the price has been trebled.

“We do have the facility to improve the team but I cannot be definite how this is going to be done. Even if you have loads of money the world-class players that you would be looking at, and would be great to improve your team, might be happy in their own side or the likes of Manchester United or Barcelona would buy them.”

Of more immediate concern to O’Neill is ending Villa’s home campaign with a win.

They may have won their last three games on the road but have only won one of their last six home matches.

“That is something we have to improve on because if we are to make an impact next season you have to be strong at home,” said O’Neill.

“We might not have won as many games as we would have hoped to at home but we are unbeaten in the last seven home and away so the players have plenty of confidence.

“We know what to expect from a Sheffield United side managed by Neil Warnock. They may well think they need something from the game to make themselves safe so this won’t be a low-key end of season game.”