McGhee may have to cash in on Cahill

Millwall are ready sell talented midfielder Tim Cahill in order to give manager Mark McGhee much-needed transfer funds.

The 21-year-old wants Premiership football and the club will listen to offers of around £4.5million.

Aston Villa have asked about Sydney-born Cahill and manager Graham Taylor says he wants to add a midfielder to his squad, although he has yet to table a bid.

Millwall have worked hard to keep him at the club over the past two years and saw his value soar after he scored 13 League goals last season.

But after the collapse of ITV Digital the club has struggled for cash and released three players in the summer.

In addition, the team have started the season badly, failing to score in their first three Division One games and being embarrassed by their 6-0 opening day defeat by Rotherham.

McGhee has already lost two highly-rated youngsters to injury. Midfielder Steven Reid will be out for four weeks and striker Richard Sadlier for two months, leaving McGhee desperate to bolster his squad.

If the club could get a reasonable price for Cahill, who signed a three-and-a-half-year contract last season, McGhee is likely to get a significant proportion of the transfer fee and would look to bring in two or three new faces.

The Scot said: "We have found ourselves in difficult circumstances and I am having to look at short-term transfers and bringing the youngsters through. I am working hard with the chairman to see if there is any other way to improve the squad."