Curtis Davies expects Villa to sign as many as six players this summer as they rebuild for a fresh assault on the Champions League.

Owner Randy Lerner revealed yesterday that Martin O’Neill’s transfer budget for the current window is set to be cut from the £50m handed to the Villa boss a year ago.

No manager used less players in the Premier League last season than O’Neill, however, and Davies hopes the manager will still be given the green light to significantly strengthen. And the centre-back is optimistic Villa can sustain their challenge to the top four next term if they bring in further quality.

“I expect a lot of ins,” said Davies. “I don’t know about outs. We have one of the squads that has used the least players again.

“I am sure the gaffer wants to build the squad rather than be breaking it apart. It will be an interesting summer.

“Last summer I think we signed something like six players so I can imagine something along similar lines and if people see the progression we have made as a team, and we get the right names here, they could help push us into the top four.”

But the England hopeful insists Villa cannot blame their squad size for the spring slump which saw their Champions League challenge collapse.

“The size of the squad can be talked about, but we got to February and were still flying,” he added. “People can say we then petered out but we were out of the UEFA Cup then and we had no more of those games to worry about.”