Comments reportedly made by Nikola Zigic's agent, Milan Calasan, are untrue.

Aston Villa did not make any "11th hour" attempt to contact the Serbian striker's representatives.

No contact was made by the club on the day that Zigic arrived in Birmingham - or at any time before or after.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill, responding to speculation about the then Valencia striker in 2008, went on record stating: "There's not a grain of truth in the story that we've put in an offer for the player and I don't know where it's coming from. I don't even know the player's agent."