Aston Villa chairman Randy Lerner has warned Liverpool that his manager Martin O'Neill will not be leaving Villa Park this summer.
Recent reports have suggested that the talented Ulsterman had been viewed as the ideal replacement at Anfield should Rafael Benitez choose to leave.
However, the American billionaire has been quick to quash such rumours and is adamant his much admired manager will still be in charge of the west Midlands outfit come the start of next season.
"I don't want a manager who nobody else wants. But, as far as I'm concerned, Liverpool are not taking Martin O'Neill away from Aston Villa," Lerner told The Daily Star.
There have been reports in recent weeks that the relationship between chairman and manager at the Birmingham based club has become strained.
However, Lerner insisted he is happy with the way things are developing with his side reaching the League Cup final and finishing sixth in the Premier League.
Lerner, who also owns the Cleveland Browns in Ohio, admitted he also admired O'Neill's straight talking personality.
"If you look at the top managers, you realise you are dealing with animated, complicated people," added Lerner.
"With Martin [O'Neill] you've got a lot of personality, a lot of points of view, a lot of history and a lot of stuff going on.
"I realise that's who my manager is. And I don't want anything different than what I have here now."
Lerner also delivered a warning to Villa fans that funding a big summer spending spree was out of the question.
"I tell the truth. To anybody who asks me, I will simply say that I cannot afford it," he added.
"It isn't that I'm not prepared to write the cheque. But we have tried to build the club in a steady, reasonable way. And £30 million players are not a part of that.
"You also have to consider what you would pay the player and what the other players would think about it.
"It would just not be at all consistent with anything that we have done since I've been at the club."
Recent reports have suggested that the talented Ulsterman had been viewed as the ideal replacement at Anfield should Rafael Benitez choose to leave.
However, the American billionaire has been quick to quash such rumours and is adamant his much admired manager will still be in charge of the west Midlands outfit come the start of next season.
"I don't want a manager who nobody else wants. But, as far as I'm concerned, Liverpool are not taking Martin O'Neill away from Aston Villa," Lerner told The Daily Star.
There have been reports in recent weeks that the relationship between chairman and manager at the Birmingham based club has become strained.
However, Lerner insisted he is happy with the way things are developing with his side reaching the League Cup final and finishing sixth in the Premier League.
Lerner, who also owns the Cleveland Browns in Ohio, admitted he also admired O'Neill's straight talking personality.
"If you look at the top managers, you realise you are dealing with animated, complicated people," added Lerner.
"With Martin [O'Neill] you've got a lot of personality, a lot of points of view, a lot of history and a lot of stuff going on.
"I realise that's who my manager is. And I don't want anything different than what I have here now."
Lerner also delivered a warning to Villa fans that funding a big summer spending spree was out of the question.
"I tell the truth. To anybody who asks me, I will simply say that I cannot afford it," he added.
"It isn't that I'm not prepared to write the cheque. But we have tried to build the club in a steady, reasonable way. And £30 million players are not a part of that.
"You also have to consider what you would pay the player and what the other players would think about it.
"It would just not be at all consistent with anything that we have done since I've been at the club."
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