Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is reportedly willing to let Nicky Shorey and Nigel Reo-Coker leave Villa Park during the January transfer window in a bid to raise funds for his own spending spree.

O'Neill is looking to bolster his squad in the New Year in an attempt to freshen things up as the Villians press for a top four place in the Premier League, but with finances tight he knows he will have to sell before he can buy.

Struggling big names Shorey and Reo-Coker are first in the line of fire, with both failing to make much of an impact on the pitch this season and both still likely to carry sizeable price tags.

Left-back Shorey was tipped for big things when he arrived from Reading in 2008, with England honours already to his name, but he has been far from impressive, losing his place to Stephen Warnock and being seemingly set to move to Portsmouth in the summer before the deal fell through.

Defensive midfielder Reo-Coker, meanwhile, has also disappointed at Villa Park since his 2007 move from West Ham, where he was consistently impressive, for £7.5million.

A training-ground bust-up with O'Neill earlier in the season looked to be curtains for his Villains career and despite forcing himself back into first-team contention the 25-year-old's days appear to be numbered.

If these two are sold on then Villa should have the cash to bring in a new face or two, with O'Neill reportedly an admirer of Manchester City's talented yet inconsistent young defender Micah Richards.