Villa pave way for Reo-Coker

Villa have finally paved the way for the signing of West Ham captain Nigel Reo-Coker after the clubs agreed a fee of £8.5m.

The 23-year-old midfielder will complete the move subject to the player agreeing personal terms and passing a medical tomorrow.

Reo-Coker has been given permission to travel to Villa Park to begin talks and is expected to sign a four-year contract worth £35,000 a week and complete a move in the next 24 hours.

Agreement of the fee has been the delay to the move, with Villa initially lodging a £7m enquiry and West Ham pushing for £8m-£9m.

He joined the Hammers from MK Dons for £500,000 in January 2004 and made 142 league and cup appearances for the Hammers, scoring 11 goals.

Captain of the side that won promotion to the Premier League in 2005, he also led the team out for the FA Cup final last year, coming within minutes of lifting the trophy at the age of 21 before losing to Liverpool on a penalty shootout.

Also captain of the England under-21 side for more than two years, Reo-Coker made his final appearance for Stuart Pearce's side in their recent European Championship semi-final defeat against Holland.

Villa saw off late interest from Manchester City for Reo-Coker, with City boss-in-waiting Sven Goran Eriksson a big admirer having selected him for his only full England call-up.

The signing of Reo-Coker is expected to trigger at least two more imminent arrivals at Villa Park, with manager Martin O'Neill chasing £10m-rated Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips and a right-back, as well as a striker.