Aston Villa will move for Emile Heskey in January transfer window

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is ready for a reunion with England striker Emile Heskey in January.

O'Neill launched a £6m deadline-day bid last week to sign the man who shot his former Leicester side to two League Cups in the 1990s.

Panicky Tottenham also came in after losing Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United, and failing to land any of their original targets as replacements.

But after losing out to Spurs in the battle for United starlet Fraizer Campbell, Wigan boss Steve Bruce did not want to leave himself short up front.

He is also encouraged by the early signs of a tasty partnership between new striker Amr Zaki and Heskey.

But Heskey, 30, who has also played for Birmingham and Liverpool, is expected to be in huge demand in the next transfer window.

His contract expires next summer and it is believed he is not keen to renew it.

Celtic are also interested and hope the lure of Champions League football might swing things their way. But O'Neill is confident that Heskey will be more willing to stay in the Premier League and bolster the Villa Park front line.

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