Villa face deadline for Charlie Adam

New Villa manager Alex McLeish will have to move quickly if he is to derail Liverpool's bid for Blackpool playmaker Charlie Adam.

The Merseysiders have been linked with the Scotland midfielder for six months and are expected to lodge a £10million offer for him over the weekend.

McLeish is an admirer of the 25-year-old and would love to add him to his midfield. Indeed, after the sale of Young, he has funds to spend and is eager to boost that area of the team following Nigel Reo-Coker's release.

Liverpool's director of football Damien Comolli is scheduled to hold talks with Karl Oyston and both parties are hopeful a deal can be struck in the next few days.

Manchester United and Tottenham are also monitoring the situation, but Spurs' stance is complicated somewhat with Luka Modric's position.

Chelsea are pondering a fresh £35million move for the playmaker and Adam – who came close to moving to Spurs in the January transfer window – would be seen as an ideal replacement.

United, though, are looking at Modric, Adam and Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder.