Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is ready to go head-to-head with Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho in the race to sign Real Madrid playmaker Wesley Sneijder.

The Daily Mail claims that the Ulsterman is keen to lure the Holland international to Villa Park and would be willing to meet the Spanish giants' £15million asking price.

Sneijder, 25, is also wanted by the 'Special One' at the San Siro after becoming surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu following Los Blancos' unprecedented £200million spending spree this summer.

Having sold Gareth Barry and seen Stiliyan Petrov ruled out for the opening weeks of the season with a dislocated shoulder, O'Neill is eager to strengthen his midfield options and appears to have turned to Sneijder.

Meanwhile, the former Celtic chief is thought to retain an interested in Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin but the reluctance of the South Coast club to reduce their £5million valuation of the 31-year-old appears to be a stumbling block.

Indeed there are reports suggesting that O'Neill may instead offer a short-term deal to ex-Pompey defender Sol Campbell, 34, who is now a free agent after leaving Fratton Park at the end of the season.