Aston Villa are chasing Derby County winger Giles Barnes.

The Sunday Mercury says the Premier League strugglers' prized asset has attracted plenty of attention from fellow top flight clubs and Martin O'Neill is amongst the admirers.

Although plying his trade in an out-of-sorts Rams team, midfielder Barnes, 19, has been tipped to be a big star of the future and he fits the mould of a typical O'Neill target.

And the England Under-21 international will be all too aware of the impressive development of his international teammates, Ashley Young, Gabby Agbonlahor and Craig Gardner, under O'Neill.