brommy

Christian was free to leave this summer, if his value was met. As for discussing figures for next season, there are too many variables - several for each party (Villa, Christian and the interested club(s)) - to currently state what transfer fee may or may not be acceptable to the Villa next summer.

Sounds plausible but it could be that RL, PF and PL simply don't like release clauses, so it was never on the table. In any case, the important thing is CB is a Villa player for the next 2 to 3 seasons unless another club values him as highly as we do. A successful CB on 3.5, 3 or 2.5 year contract will cost another club a LOT of money. I hope CB scores 25+ goals this season. Then he will get his big £40m to £50m next summer or clubs will mess around with £30m bids and CB will realise Villa value him more than anyone else and stay for another season - like this summer. i'm not gonna lie he will be gone next season. I thought a club would pay his true value this summer and it did not happen. What makes you sure a club will pay his value, likely to have significantly increased, next summer?

His wife was the dick, he's just a pushover Postma style!

Sounds plausible but it could be that RL, PF and PL simply don't like release clauses, so it was never on the table. In any case, the important thing is CB is a Villa player for the next 2 to 3 seasons unless another club values him as highly as we do. A successful CB on 3.5, 3 or 2.5 year contract will cost another club a LOT of money. I hope CB scores 25+ goals this season. Then he will get his big £40m to £50m next summer or clubs will mess around with £30m bids and CB will realise Villa value him more than anyone else and stay for another season - like this summer.

What value transfer fee would the club receive for the offer 'he fancies'? If it's any old fee the club would never agree to that. If it's a set value, how is that different from a release clause that the club have denied? I meant more like what Lambert thinks he is worth, of course if its small time like spurs with 18 million it`s not gonna happen, but if bayern or something along those lines came in with a 40-50 million bid, we would go probably let him go. Fair enough but it wouldn't need an informal pre-agreement for a manager to sell a player for what he thinks he is worth at the time.

What value transfer fee would the club receive for the offer 'he fancies'? If it's any old fee the club would never agree to that. If it's a set value, how is that different from a release clause that the club have denied?

I'd be very confident that the new contract he signed hasa release clause in it. Probably around £25m. He'd be a complete moron not to include any release clause in his contract given that he handed in a transfer request. I believe it was confirmed that there is no release clause in his current contract.

I've had enough of 'false 9' already. I hope the term dies as quicky as it appeared.

Bent was one of the leading strikers in the league, proven quality at scoring goals. When we signed him nobody in a million years would think that we would be struggling to get rid of him and all for giving him his big wages. I've no idea whether we'll sign HK but in regard to the posts above, we gave Bent his big wages to dig us out of a massive hole and it paid off. I fear Bent's ship has sailed. The Benteke rocket is still being fuelled.

Fair enough, although I'm not a fan of "The big six" as a statement and I believe 'Big Sam' is often overestimated.

Plenty of families will be on holiday, including mine, otherwise we'd have added a massive 3 to the gate! I'll try to catch the Malaga match on AVTV and the Arsenal match may be screened live in one of the bars. It will be tough going for me, sat in 32C sunshine and drinking ice cold beer, but my passion for Villa will see me through.

Saturday 17th August.

Yep, exactly that. There is also a concentration inside the centre circle as CB is involved in each kick-off. It reminded me that we really did concede too many goals last year.

Recieved my ST and my wife's ST last week but my son's 'young adult' ST (paid for in the same transaction as the other two STs) is yet to arrive. Presume it just the stages the club send them out in.

Many people talk about how savvy Levy is so he must realise that it is piss-poor planning to spend £10m more than you were willing to spend on exactly the same player, based on money from a sale you suspected would happen anyway.

I must have missed the bit where we gave Newcastle permission to speak to him then? Didn't they speak to his agent and not Bent himself? I presume that's allowed.

Interesting. Perhaps with two clubs after Bent we will receive the fee we want. I wouldn't be surprised if the same fee was agreed with both clubs and it was left up to Bent to decide between the bigger club or landan. On a side note related to the link above, what shape would VT be in if we had a director of football who we could only hope was in full agreement with Lambert. Gulp!

I don't think it's lazy 'heightism' to compare him to Crouch and I don't see that as an insult. Considering their height, they're not great in the air but have deceptively good feet. My first impression to the comparison is that Helenius has a little more vision than Crouch. I hope Helenius is as difficult to play against but has greater end product.

Off to a flyer.

Agree with most of that team (barring injuries) but I'll be surprised if Sylla doesn't start instead of Tonev, to beef up the midfield.

His autobiography.

i know its very weird for a guy off his size but he is. and im also pretty sure that paul lambert knows how to deal with tis indeed he always protected him from the media even when he putted in a transfer request. Lambert knows the success of Villa this season is closely linked to the success of Benteke's season. So do the Villa fans. Benteke's only apparent weakness is drifting out of the occasional game, something I expect will improve with his age. If Benteke stays focused and performs to his potential again, as I expect he will, he will get all the love and respect he needs.

Big season for Vlaar. The guy is not young but it was his first Premier League season. Hopefully without injury, with more consistent defensive partners and better protection from a stronger midfield, he'll prove himself to be more than capable. I'd swap a few great goals for a dozen clean sheets though.

Does Julie B inform him of imminent player transfers or does he have to wait for her tweets?

He won't get booed!