West Ham have slapped an £8 million price-tag on defender Anton Ferdinand.

Aston Villa are the latest Premier League club to be linked with central defender Ferdinand and although no official offer has yet been made, it is understood they would pay £6m for the former England Under-21 star.

The defender has been linked with Tottenham but it is Villa manager Martin O'Neill who has shown a growing interest in the Peckham-born star. O'Neill is desperate to sign a central defender before the start of next season.