Martin O'Neill has revealed his determination to try to keep key defensive duo Martin Laursen and Olof Mellberg at Aston Villa.

Laursen and Mellberg could both leave the club next summer when their current contracts run out and they are free to sign a pre-contract with a foreign club now the January transfer window has opened.

O'Neill plans to hold further talks with the pair who have made crucial contributions in propelling Villa into the top six of the Barclays Premier League.

Laursen has put three years of knee problems behind to become a rock solid performer at centre-back and he has also weighed in with five goals this season.

Mellberg, who has spent seven seasons with Villa, has helped O'Neill out of a dilemma by switching effectively from the middle of the back four to the right-back role.

The Swedish international has been constantly linked with a move to Juventus.

O'Neill said: "I've spoken to Martin Laursen's agent and we're in the throes of putting some sort of proposals together. We're listening and we're talking now. We desperately and definitely want to keep him.

"As for Olof, we're trying to do all we can. Olof's point is he has been at this club for seven years and this is an important contract for him.

"But his contribution here this season at right-back has been terrific and I could have asked no more of him."

O'Neill is down-playing recent comments from Luke Moore's agent Steve Kutner that the player wants to leave Villa after rejecting a new contract.

Villa have taken up a year's option on Moore's current deal which means he will be with Villa until the summer of 2009.

O'Neill said: "I never get overly excited by what agents say.

"Agents can say what they want and, generally speaking, when you ask an agent why they said something, they say they didn't say something."

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