deeps

dark days lie ahead.....

MANCHESTER CITY will step up their pursuit of James Milner this week.

They plan to approach Aston Villa with a new set of proposals, despite refusing to meet Martin O'Neill's £30million asking price.

Their current bid stands at £20m plus add-ons which could take it up to £24m, but they are now willing to go as high as £25m with extras.

City are prepared to start negotiations all over again if Villa are interested in a part-exchange deal involving a number of their disenchanted players, including Stephen Ireland, Nedum Onuoha, Wayne Bridge and Micah Richards.

Milner, 24, earns a comparatively modest £35,000-a-week at the Midlands club but City's wage offer of £80,000-a-week is not that much more than what Villa are willing to pay him if he decides to sign a new contract.

Roberto Mancini's side are prepared to walk away from the deal if a compromise cannot be reached, which could potentially leave the door open for Tottenham to try their luck.

clicky

Milner dismayed as Villa decline to budge on £30m price tag for City switch

ames Milner is growing increasingly frustrated at being left in limbo over his future, with Aston Villa and Manchester City deadlocked over a deal.

Milner, at Villa’s Guadiana Cup training camp in the Algarve, is said to be annoyed that the two clubs’ valuations of the player are still way apart.

Villa are holding out for £30million, while City have yet to return with an improved offer after their opening bid of £20m was rejected.

Speaking from Portugal, Martin O’Neill suggested last night that he was leaving chairman Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner to conduct negotiations.

‘I think there is some sort of dialogue going on,’ said the manager. ‘Who knows what might happen in the foreseeable future? The answer is I’m not sure myself.’

clicky

Its all up in the air imo.

AND ITS VERY BORING NOW!

300 pages :?

click me

Milner refusing to sign new Villa contract after missing out on City move

James Milner is refusing to sign a new deal at Aston Villa this year after being priced out of a move to Man City.

England midfielder Milner, 24, is set to return to pre-season training at Villa on Monday.

And he fears his dream of a summer move to Eastlands is over after Villa refused to budge from their £30million price tag.

City had a bid of £18m plus £2m in add-ons for Milner, who has 11 caps, rejected in May.

City officials were prepared to go to £25m but Villa are steadfastly refusing to drop their valuation.

Villa are also insisting on a straight cash deal despite City’s willingness to include fringe players like Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha.

Now Milner expects to spend the forthcoming campaign at Villa, where he has two years left on a £45,000-a-week deal.

Villa are keen for Milner to extend his contract as he will only have 12 months left this time next summer.

But the ace is no rush to commit his long-term future to Villa and has told them he won’t be sitting down to talk terms in 2010.

Villa were willing to make Milner their highest-paid player on a new contract eclipsing Ashley Young’s salary of £65,000-a-week.

But no contract talks are scheduled with the player, who just wants to concentrate on performing well again this season after a brilliant club campaign.

The deadlock in negotiations with City has surprised Villa who had budgeted on spending the cash from Milner’s sale on Spurs striker Robbie Keane and Celtic winger Aiden McGeady.

Interest in Milner - signed from Newcastle in August 2008 for £12m - from Manchester United and Chelsea has also cooled due to his astronomical price.

Villa, who must sell to buy, are now stepping up their efforts to offload squad men like Steve Sidwell, Nigel Reo-Coker, Nicky Shorey, Luke Young and Curtis Davies.

But Sidwell, Reo-Coker and Shorey only have 12 months left on their contracts and will not command much as they are free agents next summer.

Fulham remain favourites for Sidwell after Mirrorsport revealed on June 17 the Cottagers had bid for the midfielder.

Seen a guy wearing the N98 track top in Carnaby Street (London) yesterday looks much better on imo!

Tempted to buy for them winter away days

What does upset me is... Having gone in to a few footie kit shops and websites it seem Arsenal and Man Utd have home & away N98 tops We just got the one.

does anyone kno how many yrs we are signed up with nike for?

"long term" we was told. I think it will be for a few years still.

FX Pro on the front of our shirts looks awful, not exactly a sponsor the fans can associate with is it?

To be honest, I wouldn't care if it said "we are shit" on the top, as long as they are paying us money. The fact is that we needed the money from a sponsorship and I'm sure Lerner went for the best overall offer, which happened to be FxPro. I really don't think it looks that bad on the tops either.

With regards to the collar, sure I agree it isn't the best.

I would rather have Nike than the generic Adidas tops though. I'm not quite sure what people want and no top would please everyone. Just be thankful that we haven't got a pink top like Everton. There are many worse kits out there this season.

well said.

our sponsor wont be that high! thats just a kappa thing surely!

What? Last two years we've been consistently front and centre in the Nike superstore on Oxford Circus on the upper floor. The row generally goes Juventus, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Barcelona - we punch well above our weight. Very confused that people are saying otherwise, I often go in just to look at it!

adam sorry mate but i have been in there about 4-5 times there this year and i have never seen a villa shirt in there!

I live in Kings Cross and work in Carnaby Street. Nike Town always had a Villa 'Locker' since the Nike deal. However it has since gone but my mate wroks there said it will be back when our new kit is out. Its just because this seasons got recalled for sale outlets etc

that N98 top is growing on me. Celtic and Arsenals one is not too! (mate has Arsenal one looks great on) so im thinking about getting it (maybe).

Portugal & Brazil have the same tops with writing on the back. Just part of Nikes desgin.

So far so good from Nike, still not enough. I want to know if we will get some good casual stuff like this click

I am really dissapointed with nike so far, when we had the likes of hummel and diadora we all wished we would have someone like nike doing our kits but when we got them I was really dissapointed all the kits so far look the same there is no differnece at all cept a neck change, of all the nike kits so far last seasons away one has been the best for me, I hope next seasons just isnt a change of neck from round to v neck, the training gear as shown above looks cheap and dull, pretty shabby. heres hoping for a change to justify the price tag.

i know they get a lot more training gear but Arsenal have the same one as us. I think Nike has just done this style for the coming season.

I'm confidant we will have a great kit next season (if what has been said is true that its on the Holland template).

Still I'd rather Nike doing the kits than Hummel!

I'm sorry or is it just me, but this looks like Nike couldn't be assed to put our proper badge on this shirt?

click

edit: take it back HAHA i was too quick to judge. Just seen Arsenal have the same kind of thing on their new training range :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

nope not on SSN

yawn!

Mr. Milner can you please come out and make your mind up! This is dead boring now!

If he goes I want to move on.

If he stays I want us to plan for the season.

And for the record. Ireland is not better then Milner but Milner isn't far better. IMO.

If it is Hollands template it will be a nice kit (i hope).

For years I was hoping for Nike to do our kits (mainly the Hummel days HAHA!) and living in London wearing a Hummel shirt with all my mates in great Arsenal Nike kits is a little shameful LOL.

But as i said a few pages back. I just hope Nike start to make us better gear such as hoodies,, jackects etc.

I was over the moon when we signed our deal with 'em but the extra sport gear has been rubbish that to the stuff Man U Arsenal (big clubs I know) but even to what Celtic get!

Looks like they want Arteta too

click

In a few other sunday papers too

has anyone seen the new Juventus shit! Looks horrible!

what is a viral vid??

edit: never mind just seen it

This is not the thread for other teams shirts. limpid

I think Man City fans should just keep their feet on the ground imo.

I'm not going to lie, top players coming in to Villa would excite me as it is for most City fans. But the spending could work or come back and bite 'em if it doesn't work within' the next season (with the money spent the chairman and board will want a rapid return of their investment, minted or not). Either way we shall see. But I think you should just have that more respect towards our club. We are a big club if you like it or not. Ask anyone who KNOWS FOOTBALL. When I say 'KNOWS FOOTBALL' I mean someone who has followed it for a long time not just any Joey who don't know heads from tails.

My opinion of City isn't low. Nor is it high (and i think the same goes for you to Villa) but I wouldn't talk about YOUR club the way you have about mine.

Winning the European Cup 28 years ago? Yep thats right only 3 other English clubs to do so. You cannot say much on it. The club is proud of our past and what we have achieved. City would do the same if you win it in 2012 come 28 years later see if you and all the city fans wont still be talking about it.

Okey we ain't won much since but ermmmm not many clubs have?!

oh and fulhams new home kit is Kappa not Nike

edit: Wigan now have Nike

kinda suck thou sharing a sponsor.

I just thought this deal was a big deal for us as a club.

The Fulham thing kinda takes that away.

i hope we start to get more out of Nike.

We have been taken off their football site again.

And the extras (bar the 1st season with Nike) such as t-shirts/tracksuits etc. have been poor.

Couldn't agree more.

i hope we start to get more out of Nike.

We have been taken off their football site again.

And the extras (bar the 1st season with Nike) such as t-shirts/tracksuits etc. have been poor.

we will get out of this group... we can still win it... have faith

But imo Joe Cole HAS to play on weds