Aston Villa are ready to splash out for Wigan Athletic winger Charles N'Zogbia.
The Daily Mail says Villa have offered Wigan £9million for N'Zogbia as a direct replacement for Stewart Downing and hope to tie up the deal today. Downing has seen a bid from Liverpool accepted by Villa in the last 24 hours.
McLeish has a ready-made replacement in N'Zogbia, who nearly joined him at Birmingham a year ago.
The wages were a stumbling block then but there should be no problem this time with Villa banking the Downing cash.
