Villa target Riise

By David Harrison

ASTON VILLA are set to tempt Liverpool with a fresh January bid for unsettled John Arne Riise.

Martin O'Neill was close to signing the 26-year-old Norway full-back for £6 million in August.

But his hopes were scuppered by Rafa Benitez's failure to land Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze.

Villa boss O'Neill will swoop again but now faces competition from Newcastle.

Talks between Villa and Liverpool were advanced before FA chiefs blocked Heinze's £6.8m switch from Old Trafford.

Benitez will not allow Riise (right) to leave unless he can find a suitable replacement ahead of the transfer window.

Riise would like to sign a new deal at Anfield — where he has 18 months of his contract remaining — but no talks are planned.

Now he recognises his position is under threat and was so convinced he would be moving last summer he put his house up for sale.

Quids 'n' Vids

By Andy Dunn

NEMANJA VIDIC will put pen to paper on a new £55,000-a-week deal at Old Trafford in the next fortnight.

That represents a £23,000-a-week pay rise for the Serbian centre-half, who has been instrumental in Manchester United's outstanding defence this season.

Vidic, 26 this month, signed a four-year contract when he arrived from Spartak Moscow for £7million in January 2006.

Terms

But boss Sir Alex Ferguson wants to rip that up and replace it with a new four-year package.

Vidic is close to agreeing terms which will give him parity with most of the club's stars — although he will still lag behind Rio Ferdinand.

Fergie has been hugely impressed with the Serb and wants to tie up his long-term future, with a view to Vidic spending the rest of his career at the club.

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