Villa boss Martin O’Neill has hinted he could be forced to wheel and deal over the summer in preparation for a fresh assault on the Champions League.

O’Neill is waiting to discover the size of the transfer chest Randy Lerner will arm him with during the close season, but the credit crunch means he is likely to have to settle for less than last year’s £50million kitty.

The claret and blue chief confirmed he plans to strengthen in ‘specific areas’ with at least one new centre-back and another striker believed to top his list of priorities.

In defence,  Ajax’s Thomas Vermaelen, Fulham’s Brede Hangeland and Everton’s Joleon Lescott are all on his radar, while up front Manchester City’s Daniel Sturridge and Reading’s Kevin Doyle are possibilities.

With the purse strings set to be tightened, Marlon Harewood, Nicky Shorey, Craig Gardner and Zat Knight are among the potential casualties at Villa Park.

The manager said: “I will try to improve the strength and depth of our squad, so we might have to do some manoeuvring.

“We will be looking at specific areas to try to strengthen the team.

“But whether we are in the market to compete with the top four financially, that’s something else to ponder.”

Mega-rich Manchester City’s aggressive approach in January inflated the market and O’Neill fears a similar scenario over the summer.

He added: “I’ve been talking to other managers about it. We are really not sure how the whole thing is going to be affected.”