Striker John Carew is confident Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill will find a suitable replacement for wantaway captain Gareth Barry and "make the team even stronger" for next season.
Barry's move to Liverpool could gather momentum now manager Rafael Benitez has additional funds at his disposal after agreeing to sell striker Peter Crouch to Portsmouth.
Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell is likely to become O'Neill's first summer signing, although there is reported late interest from Newcastle.
And Carew, the club's top scorer with 13 goals last season, is adamant the players are focusing on the future and not the impending departure of Barry after 10 years at Villa.
"What is happening with Gareth is part of football. I don't think anyone is shocked, although you don't want to lose someone who was one of our best players last year and for all the seasons he has been at Villa.
"That is football and that's the way things work and now we are just waiting to see who comes in to replace him - but I think it will be a good player coming in.
"It is sad like Gareth is going but I don't use much energy on it. I am focusing on the team we have here, the players we have here, and not all the surroundings.
"In the end we will get new players which hopefully will make the team stronger than before."
O'Neill has still to make any new additions but Carew has faith in the manager, who has often tended to make signings near the end of transfer windows.
The Norway international said: "I think the players are quite calm. The players' business is to go out and work 100% and not stick our noses into anything else.
"We have to concentrate on ourselves if we are going to be 100% and we are all confident the club will do the rest.
"We are in the same boat, we have to fight together as a team on the pitch and are not thinking about which players are coming in and when they are coming in.
"But we are 100% sure the club will do what is necessary to make this team even stronger than last year and maybe it can happen within the last two days of the transfer window.
"That is the way football is and we are confident that everything will be good."
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Martin O'Neal..."Don't you think he's looking tired"
Martin O'neal is prostituting Gareths talent at 18 million, because he's getting desperate. O'Neal's competant and assurred management is starting to evidence sighns that he is losing his grip; Class being replaced by shrill and macho posturing, which he dosn't where well. DON'T YOU THINK HE LOOKS TIRED....could probably do with a break from it all. All that telly works takin its toll. Have Villa thought of a new manager. e.g Graham Taylor. Never had a lot of time for this club, dating back to how they sacked their most inspirational manager Ron Saunders. Kalma.
At last someone is talking some sense. Life goes on and no doubt Barry will be forgotten and hopefully with a few good players being signed Villa should stay in the top 10 next season. Hopefully in the top 5.
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