Emile Heskey is about to complete a £3.5m move from Wigan to Aston Villa, subject to passing a medical and agreeing personal terms. The 31-year-old England striker will sign a three-and-a-half-year contract.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill said: "We have agreed a fee with Wigan, and Emile is making his way down here to undergo a medical. "If that works out, he will be joining us.

"We are in a decent position at the moment. We need to keep the momentum going. We don't have the biggest squad in the world, and currently John Carew is out and Ashley Young is suspended.

"Emile will bring something to us. 'Gabby' has done fantastic up front on his own, and Emile will give us another option.

"He can play with either 'Gabby' or John. He will be excellent for us. He is currently vying to be the number one England centre-forward - so in terms of value, this is a great deal for us."