O'Leary has already off-loaded 13 players

Ellis has told O'Leary he will have just �4m to spend in the summer to rebuild a decimated squad.

O'Leary has already off-loaded 13 players in his first year in the job at Villa Park.

And he said: "I don't think we'll have more than a dozen or so professionals on the staff."

O'Leary has spent just �4m this season, signing goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen and Gavin McCann.

But earlier this week, Villa announced a �16.5m loss for the six months up to November 2003.

O'Leary said: "If Aston Villa want to move on then myself, the chairman and the board need to sit down and see what we are going to do in the summer.

"I've already spoken about big decisions needing to be made at the end of the season and I stand by that.

"The fact that we have had a centre-forward in Dion Dublin playing at centre-half tells you everything you need to know."

The lack of funding from Ellis has exasperated O'Leary's predecessors, John Gregory and Graham Taylor, who both quit the club.