Villa will not pay over the odds for Adam

Would you Adam and Eve it? 'This Charlie percentage row is a non-story' (GETTY IMAGES)

Aston Villa will not pay over the odds to sign Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam during the January transfer window.

The midlands club have already had bids of £2.5 million and £3.5 million rejected by the Seasiders for Adam.

Villa manager Gerard Houllier would like to add Adam to his other January signings in striker Darren Bent, midfielder Jean Makoun and on-loan Tottenham defender Kyle Walker.

But sources close to the club indicate Houllier and owner Randy Lerner are in agreement about Villa not making an inflated offer in excess of what they feel Adam is worth.

With the arrival of Makoun, and the return to fitness of experienced duo Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker, Villa are not short of numbers in the centre of the park.

Adam has only 18 months left of his current deal with the Tangerines.

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has said the summer would be the ideal time for Adam to leave should he decide his future lies elsewhere.

He has been scathing of Houllier for making public his interest in Adam.

But Houllier was only responding to media questions about the Scottish midfielder rather than issuing any statements of his own on the subject.

Meanwhile, Bent admits he is flattered by the amount of attention his move from Sunderland has caused - but cannot wait for a return to the quiet life along with his mother Shirley.

He said: "I kind of hate it to be honest. I've never been one for my picture being here, there and everywhere.

"It's horrible at the moment because there's so much going on with Sunderland and Villa. It's horrible.

"My mum can't stand it! She hates going out of the house when it's all happening like at present.

"I don't like it. I prefer to go about things quietly. If the transfer could have gone through under the radar, I'd have been happy."