The Barclays Premier League strugglers confirmed on Thursday they were in discussions with the 28-year-old, having already agreed a fee with Villa.
But club chief executive Jez Moxey has revealed Fulham were set to win the race for the former Chelsea man, who had earlier been on the verge of a move to West Ham.
He told the club`s official website: "Fulham have come in for him and, rather than take over his contract which runs to the end of the season, they have offered him a long-term deal.
"We move on, we've always said how difficult it is to get players in, especially at this time of the year.
"We never believe a player is ours until he actually signs, so there was no great surprise - although there was disappointment - here because we always knew there were other clubs interested."
Source: PA
Source: PA