THE Aston Villa manager Brian Little yesterday insisted that skipper Andy Townsend is staying with the club - at least until the end of the season - following further reports linking Celtic with the midfield player.

And Little is hoping to come to reach agreement with the 33-year-old player, whose current contract expires in the summer, regarding a new deal within the next couple of months.

Celtic, who were linked with a £850,000 bid for Townsend before Christmas, are understood to be ready to launch a new £1 million offer for the Republic of Ireland captain.

But Little insisted: "Let me make it clear that there has been no contact with Celtic. I also told Andy last month that we had no desire to sell him and I have no reason to change that decision.

"He knows we would prefer him to stay. He is very much a part of Aston Villa, has played a big part in our success, and we want him to stay.

"Come this summer the decision is his and when a player gets to thirtysomething he has earned the right to make it. But hopefully by March we will have agreed something."

The sticking point could be the length of any new deal, with Villa understood to be prepared to offer Townsend a one-year extension while the player wants a longer deal.

Little, meanwhile, has spelt out his desire for unhappy £4 million record signing Sasa Curcic to remain with the midlands club and has had talks with the advisors of the player.

. FIFA general secretary Sepp Blatter yesterday pledged that he would never allow TV replays to be used to change decisions in the course of matches.

Blatter was in Paris for the official launch of next summer's Four Nation Tournoi de France which will see England, Brazil and Italy take on the host nation.

During the tournament, referees and their assistants will be connected by radio, allowing them to make instant contact if an incident occurs on the pitch.

But, while Blatter signalled his approval for that innovation after its success during the football tournament at last summer's Olympics, he declared outright opposition to the idea of TV replays. "We must never allow television to influence the decisions of referees," said Blatter. "Football, above everything else, is a game for humans."