O’NEILL SEEKS NEW LAURSEN

By John Curtis, PA Sport Martin O’Neill is stepping up his search to find a replacement for retired Aston Villa captain and central defender Martin Laursen. But speculation that Middlesbrough centre-back David Wheater is amongst O’Neill’s leading targets is understood to be wide of the mark and Villa have made no bid for the 22-year-old. O’Neill is believed to looking for a more experienced figure to fill the massive void left by Laursen, who was forced to retire with a knee injury at the end of last season. And in any case…

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