Danny Sturridge has dropped his wage demands at Manchester City.

The News of the World says the striker, 19, has hit a contract stalemate with Manchester City - and Aston Villa could step in.

England Under-21 star Sturridge has been offered a four-year deal by City that could be worth £30,000 a week.

But a source close to the player claimed the contract is weighted with appearance bonuses, indicating Sturridge is not about to break through into the top rank of players.