Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is understood to be lining up a swoop for highly-rated Feyenoord midfielder Jonathan de Guzman in the January transfer window.

De Guzman is out of contract at De Kuip at the end of the season and O'Neill is thought to view the Holland international as an ideal replacement for Gareth Barry, who departed for Manchester City in the summer.

The Ulsterman has had the talented playmaker watched on numerous occasions already this season and has received glowing reports with de Guzman already netting three goals in five starts for the Rotterdam outfit.

However, the Villians may not be alone in the bidding, with Chelsea and Manchester City already registering an interest in the 22-year-old over the past 12 months.

Indeed, City were rumoured to have failed in an £14million bid last season, with Mark Hughes cooling his interest after de Guzman suffered a serious injury which ruled him out for much of the campaign.

But with the Citizens now setting a trend of bringing in 'marquee' signings and Chelsea facing a transfer ban until 2011, the door may be left ajar for the Villa to sneak in and make their move.

Reports emanating from Holland have suggested that de Guzman could move to Villa Park when the transfer window re-opens in January in a cut-price £5million deal.