“I haven’t done so at the moment,” the Villa boss said, adding: “I will certainly get an opportunity to do so.”

Defender Mellberg, 29, recently indicated he was in no hurry to open discussions over a new deal but O’Neill insists he has begun making moves in that direction.

“I wouldn’t read anything into the lack of urgency at the moment at all,” he said.

“In fact, I had spoken to Olof some weeks ago just to see who his agent was, just so that we could get in touch. And I will be speaking to them very shortly.

“Similarly, I had spoken to Gavin very, very briefly about the same thing. It was not a long, convoluted conversation but it is something we will sit down and address.”

Villa’s first team return to action after a three-week break on Saturday when they visit Fulham in the Barclays Premiership.

Five days of that break were spent at a training camp in Spain, giving O’Neill ample opportunity to sit down with Mellberg and midfielder McCann, also 29.

But the Villa boss said: “I wasn’t wildly sure that I wanted that as part of the remit of the break that we had, but I have got loads of time coming up now.

“I am also mindful of the fact that I don’t want things to run too far into the year.”

O’Neill is also pondering whether to enter Villa into next season’s Intertoto Cup.

They are currently 13th in the Premiership table, but with a game in hand over their closest rivals.

Villa have entered the competition three times before and lifted the trophy to secure a UEFA Cup spot in 2001, a prize O’Neill could be tempted by.

“We have thought about it,” he said.

“There are two games in July-time and then, if you get through those, you go into a pre-qualifying game for the UEFA Cup.”

Blackburn, who are three places and five points better off than Villa, have already submitted their name for next season’s competition.

However, history shows that teams from some UEFA-affiliated associations choose not to take part in the competition, meaning the Premiership is almost certain to be granted at least two places.

That still may not be enough for Villa, and O’Neill would rather qualify for the UEFA Cup through league position anyway.

“Let’s say you did finish in the top half, there could be two or three teams in front of you who would then have the choice,” he explained.

“The easiest thing is getting into Europe and not worrying about the Intertoto Cup – that’s always a thought.

“It is not as if to say there is a definitive rule that if you finish in certain position you get it. Then we could make, pre-season plans.”