Aston Villa are confident of agreeing personal terms with Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell.

The Independent says the 25-year-old midfielder is to hold talks with Aston Villa after a fee of £5.5m was agreed with Chelsea. The only potential stumbling block is persuading Sidwell, who has attracted inquiries from eight other clubs, to take a significant reduction in his wages.

He joined on a free transfer from Reading only last summer and is paid around £55,000-a-week but made just eight league starts last season. Villa are prepared to pay Sidwell around £35,000-a-week and are confident that he will accept their offer.