Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has hinted Bolton Wanderers are set to win the race for defender Gary Cahill.

"All the time, up until very recently, Gary has been thinking about going on loan somewhere until the end of the season," O'Neill told the Birmingham Mail.

"Bolton are one of a number of clubs who were initially interested in taking Gary on loan. They put a bid in which we didn't accept.

"I didn't say anything to Bolton. At that stage, Gary was saying it wouldn't really have mattered whether they came back with a higher bid because he had in his mind the idea of going back out on loan. But things might change."