Martin O’Neill needs no reminding of the rebuilding work required at Villa this summer but will not be rushed into recruiting.

Villa have yet to act in the transfer market but the manager, who has today been linked with moves for Blackburn’s Brad Friedel and Newcastle’s Steven Taylor, is adamant there is no need to hit the panic button.

He said: “It doesn’t mean that we have to be signing a player every week. We need an overhaul because this season there will be an extra two places on the bench. That’s 18 players for every match.

“We want to strengthen the squad with a bit of quality. We definitely have to rebuild.”

Friedel could be available for £3m, while Taylor, out of contract next summer, is reported to be unhappy with his current paypacket on Tyneside. O’Neill admits it will take “major investment” for his team to have any hope of breaking into the top four, but he believes the end would justify the means.

He added: “When I came a couple of seasons ago the idea was that it all became worthwhile if you could break in. It seemed rather strange to be thinking that way when the team had just avoided relegation the previous year.”