Villa were strongly linked with the former Arsenal man throughout last summer but were quoted a high figure by his then employers Blackburn.
Moneybags Spurs were not so shy when asked for £15m and consequently they snapped up the England international.
Since then , however, Bentley has endured an on-off relationship with the club's fans and has failed to establish himself under new manager Harry Redknapp.
And with White Hart Lane typically carrying the appearance of a revolving door during the summer months, it is likely that Bentley will be cast aside as one of the nearly men.
Villa are in desperate need of reinforcements and the ever flexible winger definitely fits the bill to add some much needed flair.
James Milner has been called up to the England Under 21 squad for the European Championships in June, meaning that he will definitely need a rest at some point during the next campaign and Bentley would be an ideal replacement.
Of course, he will not simply be happy to sit on the bench but he will need show O'Neill his desire and then reproduce the quality he showed at Ewood Park to keep Milner out of the side.
The Claret and Blue have a modest budget during this transfer window as outlined by Chairman Randy Lerner, but spending some of it on Bentley could just drive the team to a top four place next season.