Aston Villa hoping for striker stay

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is hoping that Milan Baros will stay at the club.

The former Liverpool player has been speculated with a move away from the club but O'Neill is hoping he can convince him to stay.

O'Neill admitted he'd heard interest from German and Italian sides but since his arrival at the club he's heard nothing new.

"I have spoke to Milan. I think, if he thought he would be in our plans - which he most certainly would be - then he would want to stay," said O'Neill.

"There is talk of German and Italian sides supposedly being interested, but I wouldn't want him to go at this stage.

"How concrete is the interest? Since I've been here I've not heard anything new and what I would want to do at this moment is dissuade him from going.

"He showed the player he can be in Euro 2004, and I think he would know that as much as anyone else. That's what he has got to get back to.

"Unfortunately he's had this injury which has caused him a lot of problems. He left here perfectly okay to go and play in the World Cup and when he came back here he was unfit.

"The good thing is he's back in training and said he didn't feel so bad. In an ideal
world he will now get some proper work in, which he hadn't done since the middle
of June, and may be ready after the international break."