Aston Villa are prepared to make Jermaine Jenas’ loan deal from Tottenham Hotspur permanent in January in a move that could cost Alex McLeish’s side around the £8m mark.

Jenas joined Aston Villa during the summer after Spur manager Harry Redknapp allowed the 28 year old the chance to play more first team football for the midlands club than he was getting in North London. Jenas originally joined Spur in 2005 and had made an impressive 155 Premier League appearance before being sent out on a season long loan.

Despite Jenas spending the majority of his time on the treatment table at Villa, McLeish is believed to have seen enough of the midfielder to warrant a deal to keep him at Villa Park permanently.

With Tottenham unlikely to want to retain the player during the summer they will find it useful to cash in on the player in January in what is likely to be a cut price deal. Jenas’ current deal with Tottenham Hotspur runs out in 2013 at which point he will be 30 years old with little sell on value.

Although negotiations are likely to begin shortly before Christmas, Aston Villa will look to reduce the total cost of a permanent move to around the £6m mark.