Villa run rule over 'keeper

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill is expected to decide by the weekend whether to firm up his interest in signing goalkeeper Steve Mandanda from Le Havre.

The French Under-21 international is currently on trial with Villa after requesting a transfer at the end of last season.

Villa initially faced competition for Mandanda from Marseille but they have cooled their interest.

Le Havre chairman Jean-Pierre Louvel said: “The discussions with Aston Villa haven’t started yet.

They should take a position on what they are going to do before the end of the week.

“They are the only ones interested for the moment. I have spoken to the Marseille chairman Pape Diouf and he told me he wasn’t interested any more.”

O’Neill is keen to bolster his goalkeeping department amid speculation that Thomas Sorensen is not to be offered a new contract.

Sorensen, who was first choice last season, has only 11 months remaining of his current deal.

O’Neill also watched Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon at the end of last season and has been keeping tabs on Bolton’s Jussi Jaaskelainen and Liverpool’s Scott Carson.

O’Neill’s only summer signing to date is Nigel Reo-Coker and the £8.5m capture from West Ham is confident Villa can attain a top-six finish in the Barclays Premier League.

He said: “The top six is realistic because Villa have got the players, and always have had, and now they’re heading in the right direction.

“Some people might look at last season and think it’s not great to finish 11th. Villa drew games and weren’t conceding goals and if they had had a goalscorer or someone on top of their game, then they would have finished in Europe.

“If we can build on that with a few additions this year, why can’t we achieve more next season? The manager says he is going to make four or five more signings but he keeps his cards very close to his chest.”