Aston Villa, Sunderland face losing battle trying to prise McGeady away from Spartak Moscow

There's next to no chance of Aston Villa, Sunderland or indeed any Premier League club luring Aiden McGeady away from Spartak Moscow.

Villa boss Alex McLeish has been trying to bring the former Celtic star back to the UK since his appointment in the summer, while Martin O'Neill's arrival at Sunderland has sparked the inevitable rumours of a reunion with the Irishman.

But Russian football expert Kate Partridge, the sports anchor at Russia's RT, says such is McGeady's success at Spartak that there's little chance of them letting him go.

"He's now regarded as arguably one of the best foreign players in the history of the Russian Premier League," Partridge told tribalfootball.com.

"The winger has spent a considerable amount of time in the treatment room, and has admitted learning Russian is a challenge and misses the Old Firm. But he has adjusted to life in Russia and the emphasis on training, and loves living, playing and going out in Moscow."

Indeed, he's also become a darling of both fans and media.

Partridge continued: "The Ireland star was bought for an estimated 15-million Euro fee, and was voted by the RPL as their second-best winger, despite only having been at the club for a couple of months. Spartak are currently fourth in the RPL, eight points adrift of leaders Zenit, but only two behind second-placed CSKA.

"McGeady would probably cost more than cautious Aston Villa or even Sunderland could afford at this juncture. He is also a fans' favourite and it's unlikely the club would offload him at a pivotal point of this transitional 18-month season, with Champions League places at stake."

 
West Brom mad, Kate Partridge is the sports anchor at Russia's RT and writes a weekly blog on the Premier League for rt.com. Click here for more.