Robbie Keane's two-month loan move to Aston Villa is "not far away", according to manager Alex McLeish.
The Scot is hoping that the Los Angeles Galaxy striker will be signed in time for their league match against Everton on Saturday, January 14.
"It's not far away," said McLeish. "We're trying to get things cleared [for him to play next week]. The club have sanctioned it. They didn't think it was too big a risk.
"Robbie's got good experience. He's good in the dressing room and he's highly motivated because he's got a certain competition [the European Championship] to play in at the end of the season with his country, so he wants to maintain his level."
Keane's Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan is currently on loan at Everton.
