Cardiff City striker Jay Bothroyd is a surprise target for Aston Villa.

The Daily Star says Villa appear to be preparing for Heskey's exit, monitoring Bothroyd's Championship form.

Like Heskey, 27-year-old Bothroyd is not a prolific scorer, with just 15 in 54 games for Cardiff, but he offers a similar powerful presence up front.

With the Bluebirds flying high in the Championship, boss Dave Jones would be reluctant to sell.

But with Cardiff having paid Wolves just £350,000 for Bothroyd, they would find it hard to resist a bid of £3-£4m.