Villa remain favourites to entice Ginola

The Aston Villa manager, John Gregory, remains determined to prise David Ginola away from Tottenham in a £3m deal.

The Aston Villa manager, John Gregory, remains determined to prise David Ginola away from Tottenham in a £3m deal.

The gifted 33-year-old winger is unsettled at White Hart Lane and it seemed he would end up back in his native France. But Marseilles are now believed to have cooled their interest in him, leaving Villa with a clear run.

"I have told David's people that I want him to join us and help us to get into the Champions' League," Gregory said. "I know that Marseilles have enquired about him and it is a question of whether he wants to return to France or stay in the Premiership. We are still apart when it comes to money but it is not an unbridgable gap. I haven't had the chance to sit down face to face with David but when I do, I am convinced he will come here.

"Villa fans would pay just to see David Ginola. That is the way it is at Spurs and when he doesn't play there isn't the same buzz."

Gregory admits he still needs a couple of new players despite the imminent arrival of the £4.7m defender Alpay from Fenerbahce. One of Gregory's summer signings, Luc Nilis, the former PSV Eindhoven striker, is expected to make his debut today in the Intertoto Cup third-round game against the Czech side Dukla Pribram. Villa's unsettled captain, Gareth Southgate, returns for the second-leg match at West BromwichAlbion's Hawthorns ground with the scores tied at 0-0.

Gregory will be without the Wales defender Mark Delaney, who has accrued a three-match European ban as a result of being sent off for violent conduct in the first leg against Pribram.

Should Villa progress today it means he will also miss the two-legged semi-final, which is likely to be against Celta Vigo, of Spain. Steve Stone is likely to be converted to the right wing-back role in Delaney's absence.

Manchester City are prepared to increase their £6m bid to sign Villa's defender Ugo Ehiogu. The Maine Road club's chairman, David Bernstein, admitted yesterday that City are still waiting to hear how much Villa want for Ehiogu. "The matter is in Villa's hands," Bernstein said. "We made an offer, but we are flexible. We are waiting for Villa to come back to us."

The Bradford City winger Jamie Lawrence is hoping to convince the Bantams' manager, Chris Hutchings he is in the right state of mind to play today in his side's Intertoto Cup second-round tie at the Dutch side RKC Waalwijk.

Lawrence has been struggling to come to terms with the recent death of his father from cancer, and it is a question of whether he or not is mentally ready to return yet. However, the player believes the new season, beginning with today's match, will help to take his mind off the loss.

"I admit my head's not right, not at the moment," Lawrence said. "I think it's going to take me a few months to get my head round things. At the moment I just have my football to concentrate on, which is acting as a diversion. Being back in training and playing again has helped."

* Manchester City's promotion-winning side will receive their First Division runners-up medals before kick-off in the pre-season friendly at Oldham on 8 August. Chris Hull, Nationwide's sponsorship media manager, said: "This is the first opportunity Nationwide have had in which to conduct this presentation."