timharding

Well if I had know that the La Liga top scorer list was the definitive source for defining the top striker in europe then I would have said Van Nistelrooy wouldn't I?

Villa plays for a team with a more disciplined set up and have scored 16 goals less than Barca. The biggest clubs are queueing for Villa not eto'o. And again if the criteria is la liga scorers list, last year Villa was only one goal behind eto'o and eto'o was playing for the best team.

Yes, but THIS season, Villa isn't even Valencia's top scorer. Morientes has 19 goals in 36 games and Villa has 18 in 42.

There's no evidence whatsoever that Villa is even the best striker for Valencia (this season), let alone in the world.

Well Mourinho and me must be wrong then.

Before this goes too far, I'm not saying we're gonna sign Eto'o, what I am saying is that sometimes circumstances work in favour of a club and you can pull off a surprise. We all know the Tevez was a mad one but which ever way you look at it, and for whatever reason, it happened and a previously poor side picked up a world class player. I'm just saying never rule it out. I expect a defoe, or a bent and I'll be delighted with either, but if Eto'o came on the market, and the top clubs say 'no thanks we want villa', or 'no thanks, we've got Henry' should AVFC say 'lets give it a go'

Well if I had know that the La Liga top scorer list was the definitive source for defining the top striker in europe then I would have said Van Nistelrooy wouldn't I?

Villa plays for a team with a more disciplined set up and have scored 16 goals less than Barca. The biggest clubs are queueing for Villa not eto'o. And again if the criteria is la liga scorers list, last year Villa was only one goal behind eto'o and eto'o was playing for the best team.

On February 25, 2007, Eto'o scored the third goal in the 3-0 win against Athletic Bilbao; this was his first start since recovering.

Eto'os agents have recently been spotted by a local spanish newspaper talking to officials from Liverpool F.C.. Eto'o has said "It is my dream to play for the Liverpool. They are always in the Champions League finals, and my sincere desire is to win the trophy again".

Source wikipedia

Zola was 30 (so fair enough he was TOWARDS the end of his career) and his reputation was a one of Europes top players. And David Villa is europes best striker this season.

Lets through this name into the pot...

Samuel E'to.

Best striker in europe at a mid table premiership side? :roll: it really is silly season

Far from best striker in Europe this season, and with his behaviour his reputation has suffered. Again remember the Zola move to Chelsea.

Read a few questions earlier in the thread so I pulled this off the BBC website.

After midnight on 31 January, Premiership and SPL clubs cannot sign any players, on loan or full transfers, until one minute past midnight on 1 July. This window will stay open until midnight on 31 August.

This actually only means he starts being employed by Aston Villa Football Club, and his new contract starts, at this time. I remember the Berger deal actually being announced early-mid June and he then officially became a Villa player at 1 past midnight 1st July.

I heard the MON quote about Ribery frustrating him and I took it the opposite way to the rest of you. I think Ribery frustrates him because he LIKES him, but thinks there is sooooo much more to come from him. So with that in mind?

And plus every french player does not automatically go to Arsenal, particularly as the wide positions, where Wenger prefers to play his flair players are oversubscribed.

Ribery is exactly the sort of player we should go for. He not in the 'out of our league' catorgorie like the Ronaldinho's and Gerrards, not yet at a top club, but pontentially good enough to get there. With the right circumstances, ie the top CL clubs having other irons in the fire, we could very well entice him.

Transfer speculation: Luke Young to Aston Villa (£2m)

Colin Illingworth

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Colin is a sub-editor on a regional newspaper and is a die-hard Aberdeen fan. He's prepared to sell his soul to the Devil for the Dons to return to their former glory so Satan, if you're reading this, give him a call!...

[full biography]

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09/05/2007 09:26:23.

The former Spurs defender has won rave reviews for his effortless displays and it’s unlikely that there will be a shortage of suitors wanting his signature"

speculation 'facts'

Player: Luke Young

From: Charlton Athletic

To: Aston Villa

Cost: £2m

Source: Express and Star (03.05.07)

Likely?: 3/5

Charlton’s 2-0 home defeat against Tottenham has consigned the Addicks to the Championship and the vultures are already circling above the club desperate to pick up the scraps. A bidding war is set to start over striker Darren Bent and it’s rumoured that Luke Young may also decide to move on.

The 27-year-old right-back has been faultless in the Charlton defence since he signed from Tottenham in 2001 and has been captain since 2005. His impressive displays have forced his way into the international set-up and that will be a crucial factor in whether he stays or leaves this summer. He is currently in his prime and with Gary Neville nearing the end of his career, Young needs to be playing top class football if he wants to add to his seven England caps.

Martin O’Neill has money to spend and has apparently set his sights on securing the services of Young. The former Spurs defender has won rave reviews for his effortless displays and it’s unlikely that there will be a shortage of suitors wanting his signature. Aston Villa is a massive club but it has hugely underperformed over the past 20 years or so. Martin O’Neill has been successful at every club he has been at and with new players arriving in the summer the fans will be confident of the good times returning. Every player dreams of winning silverware and Luke Young is no different. A move to the Midlands would boost his chances of that, especially with O’Neill’s cup record.

At £2 million, Young would be a bargain, but if other clubs come in for him that price tag would soon shoot up. Young hasn’t stated that he wants to leave the club as of yet but I think everyone would be surprised if he was still at the Valley come August. Villa have made their intentions clear but whether Young ends up at Villa Park is still anyone’s call

.

Lets through this name into the pot...

Samuel E'to.

Well for someone who rates himself more than the whole Barca side and basically just ignores his manager we have jsut got rid of one of them in Baros.

He will also want Champs league footy as bangs on about it all the time and as we cannot offer that now....

No chance.

By behaving the way he has recently he has talked himself out of Barcelona, and whilst he would preferabbly play for the top clubs, I'm not too sure they're interested. I think this summer could see him humbled when the clubs he facncies turn their back on him, at which point the Villa would be crazy not to have a punt. Chelsea when they first got Zola, Vialli, Desailly et al. Before the rusky revolution, just when Harding had come in and Chelsea had money to spend for the first time. Thats the position we're in now.

I'd be happy to see swp turn up at villa park, but wouldn't put him at the top of my wish list. However, he's 25, and he could definitely return to the form that had him in the england set up. Chelsea don't play to his strengths which to me is an expansive game using width and pace to stretch the opposition. I think he'd get in either of the arsenal or liverpool sides and do a lot better for either those sides than he currently does. Its just that at the minute that position isnt a priority for either of those sides, leaving the door open for us. Any of the other prem sides bar maybe spurs (because of Lennon) would love to sign him but many could not afford him.

dont think we'll get SWP, had a good finish to the season at Chelsea and already turned us down once. He'll stay and fight for his place.

The only reason he played he played so much this year is because of the long term injuries to the likes of Robben and Cole over the course of the season. And I don't think he has had a 'good' finish, I would say he was a game winner against west ham and a decent cross against arsenal for the goal. Thos incidents tell me he still got it in his locker to do a very good job at villa but in the weeks where Chelsea have managed to get only one goal in two games against liverpool, and basically gave the title away due to an inability to score enough goals and kill teams off, it hink the writing is on the wall for many of the chelsea forward players. If he stays another year stating a desire to 'fight for his place' (which will be a third season fighting for it) then to me he is just plain daft. DJx2 could 'stay at villa and fight for my place' but actually securing it is never gonna happen. SWP thanks to the injuries to others had enough opportunity to prove his worth this year and has not cemented his name on the team sheet. If he doesn't move to someone this summer, I'll eat my arm.

It would be fantastic to sign someone who really captures the imagination. A real bums in seats signing. Ribery, Nasri, Quaresma etc.

Didnt think that was MON's style? Looking back over the players he has signed at previous clubs, with a lot less money at hand ofc, it seems he prefers solid, hard working, team players above those tricky "jesus what was that" signings.

Agree to an extent but he was never gonna buy 'that' type of player at Leicester or Wycombe, and he certainly wouldn't have signed one to play in the blood and thunder of the spl. And aside from that is in often an assumption that a flair player wouldn't graft. Granted there are alot of example of those who shy away from the workload, but Ribery and Nasri are both players who work very hard, who also happen to be very technically gifted as well. Can't say the same for Quaresma cos he does fit the stereotype!

not saying we will sign them, just that I dont think MON previous tranfer dealings would rule it out.

The Aston Villa squad on the 1st of September 2007 will be...

GK

Boruc

Taylor/Henderson

D

Bouma

Cahill

Distin

Laursen

McShane

Mellberg

Young

M

Barry

Berger

Davis

Gardner

Maloney

Petrov

Reo-Coker

Young

Wright-Phillips

F

Agbonlahor

Bent

Carew

Moore

D'you wanna fight about it?

Would be more than happy with any of those addtions, though I do expect the odd player from the continent at some point.

* KOLLER

You never know...

Good back up for Carew, whether he'd leave to be a Villa sub is another matter.

Once I saw the teamsheet, that was the first name that jumped out at me, but no, I wouldn't want him here now, after we've got Carew......

What about when Carew is injured? Now that it looks like Sutton will retire we dont have a big man to cover. Koller is the right age to perform that role and those of you who were at the match yesterday cannot have failed to notice that Luke Moore cannot fill that role even for ten minutes.

Hang on give the kid credit, we were 3 up and he played upfront on his own with a 5 man midfield for the last twenty minutes.

and nugents an evertonian

Everton can never afford Bent. Ever.

Juan Pablo Angel signed for 9,5M many years ago..... Darren Bent is a much better player and prospect, he is proven and English.

13-16M sounds about right when the market is on an up!

Unfair to compare to JPA that was a very different time and prices were very high everywhere.

Bent is the best premiership based option available as we need someone who can both partner Carew and cover him should he be injured! We won't get him for less than 15m as there will be a lot of competition for his signature! Someone like Bellamy is too much like Agbonlahor and Moore!

I couldn't agree more but I still think we could get him for 10. When is the last time premier club paid a relegated club that much? Johnson had a similar impact in the prem and he went to everton for 8m, Ashton 7m. 10m would get him because in my opinion our only real rivals will be spurs and whilst both clubs have money, neither club have a reputation of throwing it away.

Supported Arsenal and Leeds according to an interview I just read

Scrub that I just found out that though he were born in Birmingham, he grew up in Leeds

I suspect Richards will be very available. If any of the top four come in then we could be in trouble, but if our only challengers are th clubs around our level then surely he'd come home?

Isn't it that Ranson looking to take over City? Even though he's sniffed round god knows how many clubs first? I wouldn't be very happy about him.

a thai billionaire is at the front of the queue

He's the same one as liverpool told to f off as well.

I love Bent but I'd NEVER pay 15m for him. 10 tops. Especially after less successful second season.