Villa add Routledge to their ranks

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Wayne Routledge will be looking to rebuild his career after completing a £1.5million move to Aston Villa.

The 23-year-old put pen to paper on an 18-month contract last night after passing a medical and becomes Villa manager Martin O'Neill's first signing during the January transfer window.

And Major Soccer League goalkeeper Brad Guzan could soon become the second new addition in a £2million move from Chivas subject to obtaining a work permit.

Former England Under-21 international Routledge was regarded as one of the country's brightest prospects when he moved to Tottenham in the summer of 2005 after making more than 100 appearances for Crystal Palace.

But he suffered a broken foot on his league debut against Portsmouth which sidelined him for four months and never established himself at Spurs.

Routledge was loaned to Pompey in January 2006 and helped them to avoid relegation from the Barclays Premier League in a spectacular recovery during the second half of the season.

Then last season he temporarily joined Fulham as part of the deal which saw Steed Malbranque move to Spurs.

During the current campaign Routledge has made only two appearances for Tottenham - both in August against Everton and Derby - and will welcome the chance to revive his fortunes under O'Neill.

Routledge's arrival would give O'Neill the natural right-sided player he has been lacking this season when Stiliyan Petrov and Craig Gardner have occupied the role.

Guzan's expected move will mean Villa having four keepers although Thomas Sorensen is out of contract in the summer and Stuart Taylor has only 17 months left of his current deal.

There has also been speculation that O'Neill is undecided whether to make Scott Carson's season-long loan deal permanent from Liverpool.

Guzan impressed O'Neill during a recent two-day trial at the club's Bodymoor Heath training complex.

Illinois-born Guzan, 23, has won five caps for the United States and was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year for the 2007 campaign.

It will be relief to O'Neill to finally bring in some new blood after a frustrating month and also the departure of central defender Gary Cahill to Bolton in a £5million deal.

Now he may revive his interest on the final day of the transfer window in another Spurs player in Pascal Chimbonda now that right-back Alan Hutton has moved from Rangers.

But Olof Mellberg remaining at Villa for the remainder of the season before joining Juventus has taken off some of the pressure to find a new specialist right-back in January.