Stephen Warnock is set to join the long list of players who are set to leave Aston Villa shortly. The Villa manager is looking to offload a number of senior players who are on the periphery of the first team as well as those who have been resistant to the changes he has introduced since taking charge in September.
Richard Dunne, Stephen Ireland and John Carew, who were all left out of the soccer squad who travelled to Wigan Athletic before Saturday’s game was postponed, are expected to move on. Carew’s contract is up in the summer and there is no prospect of him being offered a new deal.
It is understood that Brad Friedel, who will turn 40 in May, has also been told his contract will not be renewed in the summer. Villa have begun looking for a replacement for the former Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper. Roman Weidenfeller, the 30-year-old Borussia Dortmund keeper, was watched at the weekend. Houllier is also closely monitoring Allan McGregor’s situation at Celtic
Rangers.