Emile Heskey or Martin Hayward?

Sometimes you have to read between the lines to get your story.

And I happen to say that - at this minute- I do not believe that Emile Heskey will wait until the summer to get his move from Wigan.

I happen to think that Steve Bruce and his chairman Dave Whelan are just playing the game.

Bruce, from what I understand, would be prepared to deal although he will only say the opposite in public.

Whelan wants rid. He's costing them a decent wage and he's looking to recoup some ofn the £6 million handed to Blues.

Heskey is likely to say the opposite. He is under contract and it never looks good in the dressing room if he announces he is away.

His agent will say the opposite. He will want the maximum pay-out for him and his client on a swift end to his stay at the JJB.

A period of bartering will then take place, but then I expect Heskey to be unveiled at Villa Park after the New Year.

Heskey has done enough to become an England regular at Wigan. He's never been prolific, although he certainly used to score more goals at Leicester and Liverpool than his recent hauls of two goals this season, four the season before, nine the season before that in his first season in the north- west, five in his last at Blues, eleven in his first at St Andrew's, 12 in his last at Anfield and 10 in 2002/03.

He only ever hit 12, 10, 9,and 12 goals a season at Filbert Street.

You have to go back to 2001/02 for when Heskey can lest be described a 'prolific' when he bagged in 16 for club and country with the last against Thomas Sorensen and Denmark in the World Cup.

And yet O'Neill is convinced he can turn back the clock at Villa and get Heskey scoring again like he did in 2000/01 when he hit 23 goals in his first season for Liverpool.

A lot of Villa supporters seem to be questioning the wisdom of the move.

Some of those doubts will be based on Heskey's goal-record, some will be based on his fruitless seasons at St Andrew's.

But one look at Heskey in an international shirt when he allows so much play to blossom off his broad shoulders should convince the doubters to give him a chance.

Who would you have faith in? Martin O'Neill getting the best out of Emile Heskey? Or Tony Pullis getting the best out of Marlon Harewood (or Martin Hayward as Graham Taylor called him on Channel 5 last week)? I rest my case.

Oh, and speaking of Villa and strikers. Don't be too quick to dismiss the fact that O'Neill was never interested in Henrik Larsson.

My sources suggest talks took place but O'Neill cooled when PSV Eindhoven came in with a lucrative offer and a longer contract.

Sometimes, as I said earlier, you have to read between the lines.

As for Roque Santa Cruz? Well, I suspect Manchester City have blown any other club out of the water with their personal terms.

That might well open the door to a Villa move for Michael Owen, Dean Ashton or some such target.

Talks are taking place right now at boardroom level to map out the plan for the January window.

I expect Villa to more than punch their weight in trying to acquire the one or two players that would give them a fighting chance of finishing in the top five and reaching Istanbul.

Of course it will take more than money to achieve those targets though.

If that were the case City would already be there.