Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish says there's room in their budget to upgrade contracts.

Although owner Randy Lerner is insisting that cuts are implemented across the board at Villa Park, McLeish confirmed yesterday that there remains some leeway in the playing budget to protect those at the club they value.

He said: "There is a reality check at the moment in football. Clubs are looking to stop wages spiralling out of control.

"But within that, you have to make sure that the squad is still strong - so it does not stop someone getting pretty decent wages for a club of this stature."