Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell is attracting interest from Aston Villa.

The Guardian says Martin O'Neill is understood to have identified Sidwell as a potential replacement for Gareth Barry. The Aston Villa manager has refused to concede defeat in his attempts to persuade Barry to resist Liverpool's overtures, but with that task appearing increasingly forlorn O'Neill is poised to rekindle the interest he showed in signing Sidwell last summer, when he missed out on the 25-year-old after Chelsea flexed their financial muscles.

The asking price of £5 million is well within Villa's reach although personal terms could be more problematic, with Sidwell's basic salary at Chelsea believed to be around £65,000 a week.