Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill accepts he faces a battle to land Wigan Athletic striker Emile Heskey next month.

It appears unlikely that the 30-year-old will pen a new deal with Steve Bruce's Latics, so chairman Dave Whelan has admitted he is ready to cash in on Heskey in January rather than lose him for nothing in the summer.

O'Neill is desperate to bolster his playing staff as Villa chase a top-four finish in the Premier League.

And O'Neill is hopeful his time in charge of the powerful frontman at Leicester will give him the edge over the rivals, which include Tottenham and Liverpool, for Heskey's signature.

"I am sure Emile Heskey will not be short of offers," O'Neill told the Daily Star.

"That is what happens when players run into the last six months of their contracts. They decide what is going to happen."