Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier is keen to secure midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker to a new contract.
Reo-Coker's current deal expires in the summer and he is reported to want an increase in wages from £30,000 to £50,000 a week to remain at Villa Park.
Houllier confirmed that talks are ongoing with Reo-Coker, who is currently sidelined with a knee problem suffered at Fulham at the weekend.
And the former Liverpool boss is keen for Reo-Coker to stay after making him stand-in skipper when Stiliyan Petrov was ruled out for two months with his own knee injury.
Houllier confirmed: "There are talks going on at the moment regarding Nigel. Am I confident a compromise can be reached? Yes, between the two figures mentioned.
"That's a compromise. The figures mentioned are 30,000 and 50,000 and between there is 40,000.
"I want to keep Nigel and they (Reo-Coker and his representatives) know that. He was my captain."
