Reports in the Birmingham press today suggest that Villa's current bid for Moustapha Hadji is likely to fail. Villa are reported to have offered £1 million plus Julian Joachim, whereas Coventry are said to want £3 million plus the Villa striker. £4 million seems to be the quoted value of Hadji.

Despite this Joachim has been given permission to speak to Coventry with the Birmingham club seemingly confident the current hurdles can be overcome. Joachim's agent Hayden Evans said: "We have been given permission to speak to Coventry. Villa have not sorted out their side of it yet, but they believe it will all go through so we intend to meet Coventry."

If the Villa bid fails Town may see their bid accepted by Coventry.

Fabian Wilnis has returned to Portman Road for pre-pre-season training free from pain. The Dutchman had suffered with ankle pain in the latter stages of the season after a collision with Alun Armstrong.

Wilnis said: "I decided to go and see a physiotherapist in Amersterdam named Dick Jan Wassink. He deals with most of the top Dutch international players including Patrick Kluivert. From here I was sent to see Doctor van der Bunt and into action he went. He decided that the trouble was coming from a piece of bone that was out of place and he set to work with what looked like some sort of a hammer and some other tools. There was a bit of pain at the time but I could stand it. When the work was over I was so, so relieved. It was fabulous to be without pain after almost three months."

Wilnis says he owes Dr Ari van der Bunt a great deal of gratitude and has returned to training early along with a number of Town players. Martijn Reuser, Titus Bramble, Nabil Abidallah, Guillermo Graaven, Erdum Artun, James Pullen and Keith Branagan have all made early starts.

Photo: Action Images

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