• Villa name 22 players for first half of the season
• Club leave door open for emerging young talent

Aston Villa have only named a 22-man squad for the first half of the Premier League season.

Each club can name up to 25 players, eight of whom must be homegrown, who will be eligible to represent the club until the transfer window reopens in January.

They can be supplemented by an unlimited number of homegrown under-21 players, and Villa have left the door open for emerging stars like Marc Albrighton, Nathan Delfouneso, Ciaran Clark and Fabian Delph.

Stephen Ireland is Villa’s only new signing while reserve-team regulars Eric Lichaj, Isaiah Osbourne and Jonathan Hogg all make the cut.

Villa’s 22-man squad

Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan, James Collins, Carlos Cuellar, Curtis Davies, Habib Beye, Richard Dunne, Eric Lichaj, Stephen Warnock, Luke Young, Stewart Downing, Jonathan Hogg, Stephen Ireland, Isaiah Osbourne, Stiliyan Petrov, Nigel Reo-Coker, Moustapha Salifou, Steve Sidwell, Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, John Carew, Emile Heskey.

Aston VillaPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk

• Bookmakers cut odds to 7-1 on Irishman leaving club
• Apparently unhappy with lack of transfer funds

Sources at Aston Villa have dismissed reports claiming that Martin O’Neill has quit as manager of the club. Radio and internet reports suggested O’Neill had decided to end his four-year spell at Villa Park following disagreements with the owner, Randy Lerner, over his transfer budget for next season.

O’Neill’s odds to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post were slashed from 66-1 to 7-1.

Villa are unwilling to comment officially on reports which they are adamant are wide of the mark. But sources close to the club are adamant the claims O’Neill has opted to leave are “pure nonsense”.

O’Neill spent heavily last summer bringing in the likes of Stephen Warnock, Richard Dunne, Fabian Delph, James Collins and Habib Beye. He recouped £12m of this outlay from the sale of Gareth Barry to Manchester City.

But in January, O’Neill admitted he had to adhere to a “sell to buy” policy if he was to bring in new players during that transfer window. And he did not add to his squad and sold midfielder Craig Gardner to local rivals Birmingham for £3m.

There has also been no public response from Lerner as to how much money – if any – O’Neill will have to improve his playing strength this summer.

Martin O’NeillAston Villaguardian.co.uk