SPECULATION : Milner to City/Utd/Chelsea/Spurs

[Hereford-Villan]

How come we haven't heard anything from the general? I have posted a comment on his page but he's not been on. Would love to hear something from him regarding this transfer. I know he doesn't like to comment on transfers but this is a big moment for the club. Could shape the long term aims and affect the 5 year plan.

[andym]

Oh and yes Paul, what are your views on Emile Heskey.

150 games for Liverpool. All players who play that amount of games are top class right, aren't they?

a_

Since when where Liverpool when Heskey played for them a top class side ?

Liverpool (unless you count 1977-1985) are about as far from Man U and Barcalona was bleeding Pelsall Villa are !.

Take out the years I have just said, and how many trophies have they won - I haven't got it to hand, but I would guess at about 7 ?

Fecking hell you will be saying bloody Steve Bull next as he had 500 appearances for the once mighty wolves !

while at liverpool heskey won an fa cup (beating arsenal), 2 league cups (beating man u in one), uefa cup, super cup and community shield. not exactly a bad team were they?

anyway, back to milner i wouldnt believe anything the daily mail write. i remember the day after both MON and barry said the deadline for his move to liverpool has passed, they published an article saying the deal was going to go through.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Paul answer my question:

Your picking a team. You need a player to play right midfield:

Adam Johnson.

Ashley Young.

Aaron Lennon.

Emanuel Eboue.

Who do you go for? Surely Eboue on what you say no?

You are a Sun editors dream you really are.

Out of that list I'd actually take Lennon - personally, he reminds me of Tony Daley with an end product - you would stand every time he got th eball.

However, you have put in Adam Johnson - this guy who has played about 12 games for the "Mighty Man City" of which he /they were so good they lost 4th place when it was being handed to them on a plate - and is suddenly the greatest prospect ever.

Why don't you look at the real game and appreciate players yourself apart from just believing what the Sun says.

Now personally, and again , another one that everyone said was "crap" and not in Ashleys league

I'd take Nani everyday , he bleeding showed Warnock up like a pillock at Wembley- but hey - he must be shit - he ain't being linked to Man City for 50m

Well personally, I'd take Lennon too.

Also, ahh yes Nani, that guy who magically showed Warnock up like a pillock at Wembley but infact, didn't even play.

[Reality]

How come we haven't heard anything from the general? I have posted a comment on his page but he's not been on. Would love to hear something from him regarding this transfer. I know he doesn't like to comment on transfers but this is a big moment for the club. Could shape the long term aims and affect the 5 year plan.

Give the man time.

[MCU]

Paul answer my question:

Your picking a team. You need a player to play right midfield:

Adam Johnson.

Ashley Young.

Aaron Lennon.

Emanuel Eboue.

Who do you go for? Surely Eboue on what you say no?

You are a Sun editors dream you really are.

Out of that list I'd actually take Lennon - personally, he reminds me of Tony Daley with an end product - you would stand every time he got th eball.

However, you have put in Adam Johnson - this guy who has played about 12 games for the "Mighty Man City" of which he /they were so good they lost 4th place when it was being handed to them on a plate - and is suddenly the greatest prospect ever.

Why don't you look at the real game and appreciate players yourself apart from just believing what the Sun says.

Now personally, and again , another one that everyone said was "crap" and not in Ashleys league

I'd take Nani everyday , he bleeding showed Warnock up like a pillock at Wembley- but hey - he must be shit - he ain't being linked to Man City for 50m

Well personally, I'd take Lennon too.

Also, ahh yes Nani, that guy who magically showed Warnock up like a pillock at Wembley but infact, didn't even play.

Now this is a perfect time to put...

Owned!

Now I don't want to be a mod wannabe here guys but let's keep this on topic before a scary moderator comes and closes it.

[Mr_Dogg]

The last person to show Warnock up like a pillock was.... dumdumdum.... Adam Johnson.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

So in your last two comments you've basically said:

Eboue plays for a great team.

Heskey doesn't.

yet Heskey won more in his time at Liverpool (5 major trophies, 6 if including community shield) and also finished in a higher league placing (2nd). (Eboue won nothing and highest finish is 3rd)

Oh and Nani ripped Warnock apart at Wembley when he didn't even play.

Got to say Paul, you are a funny one.

That said, I agree with you about Carrick being better than Petrov. (not better than Milner though)

[TheTransferWindow]

Carrick is a forward attacking midfielder

Would you not want more than than 20 odd goals in 350 odd games from a 'forward attacking midfielder'?

If he's supposed to be an attacking midfielder he's even worse than I thought.

No, he's more like Barry, a holding midfielder. I think he'd be a big upgrade over Petrov.

[PompeyVillan]

After the Barry saga last year, I struggle to feel strongly for any player. As such, I'm not particularly bothered either way whether he stays or goes at this point.

At least if he does go, we're going to get a fuckload of money (and it would be waaaay over his market value).

[ml1dch]

Carrick is a forward attacking midfielder

Would you not want more than than 20 odd goals in 350 odd games from a 'forward attacking midfielder'?

If he's supposed to be an attacking midfielder he's even worse than I thought.

No, he's more like Barry, a holding midfielder. I think he'd be a big upgrade over Petrov.

I'd agree that he's a holding midfielder (albeit one that doesn't seem to hold anything) not an attacking one.

But there is nothing that he does any better than Petrov and a fair few things that he does worse.

[Dawny]

Just my thoughts, but i would take £15m + Bellamy and Richards.

I guess like a lot of Villa players before him, he is smelling an opportunity to win some serious silverware (Yorke, Bosnich, Barry...)

Good luck to him i say...

[VillaN.I]

Sorry to go off topic but did anyone hear Milner on sky say he isnt sure if he will be at Villa next season. You would think the git would just knock the speculation on the head by saying he is staying. Is there no such thing as loyalty in the english game anymore?

[Dawny]

Loyalty? Errrr no. Fans have loyalty. Not players. You earn a living. You go where the best offer is. Simples.

[Banger75]

that sounded weird to me too.

[zapbranny]

thats how I feel. I like him as a player, but I haven't looked at him and thought amazing, he's the new Scholes or Platt etc. He's a good player.

So whilst I wouldn't sell him for £20 M, not worth it, I probably would for £30 M. We could get some very promising players with that. Just like with Barry, maybe Delph will step up and be an improvement. You never know.

However, I'm not sure he'd be that excited about going to City. Utd or Chelsea and it would be foregone conclusion.

in terms of Cash, its no good City saying he's not worth more than £20 Million, they have made a rod for their own back with their inflated fees and I'm thinking they will get stung some more. Imagine if they end up paying £67 Million for Lescott, Barry and Milner!!

[Mr_Dogg]

Manchester City may offer £30m to prise James Milner from Aston Villa

Despite having their initial £20m rejected City have made the England midfielder their top summer transfer target

James Milner is understood to have given the impression he would like to move to Manchester City. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images

Manchester City are to continue their pursuit of James Milner and have also contacted Aston Villa about the potential availability of his team-mate Ashley Young. City have been encouraged to believe that Milner has set his mind on joining them and that he may even agitate for a move if the issue threatens to drag on over the summer.

Milner is City's top target but it has emerged that when Brian Marwood, the club's football administrator, spoke to Villa before the end of the season to inquire about the midfielder, he also asked about Young. Marwood was told neither player was for sale but that did not stop City from making a £20m offer for Milner yesterday, which was turned down.

City's information is that Milner, despite his public diplomacy, wants to follow the same route as Gareth Barry, having decided he stands a better chance of winning trophies at Eastlands. Young's future at Villa also remains unclear, although City have yet to follow up their initial interest in the winger. It does, however, appear extremely unlikely Villa would allow both players to leave.

City fully expected Villa to resist their opening bid for Milner and are prepared for a lengthy battle in stark contrast to the manner of their negotiations for Barry last summer. Their financial resources are so immense they could feasibly go as high as £30m.

In an attempt to keep Milner Villa have indicated a willingness to bring forward contract talks scheduled for after the World Cup. The player is also understood to be keen to hear what Villa have to offer before he travels to South Africa. It is likely discussions will be held during a 36-hour break from England duty which follows Monday's friendly against Mexico at Wembley.

Milner has replaced Fernando Torres as City's principal summer target. An extensive list of possible signings has already seen one player ticked off, with the Germany defender Jerome Boateng due to arrive from Hamburg for around £11m, but City are increasingly coming round to the sense that their failure to qualify for the Champions League has ended any hope of persuading Torres to leave Anfield.

Their ambitions in the transfer market also do not stretch as far as Steven Gerrard, who is considered out of their reach, while City have been surprised by reports linking them with Barcelona's Swedish international striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The club's fifth-placed finish means there are no longer players on their list who could be described as established superstars in the mould of previous targets such as Kaka.

Milner, however, has been aware of their interest for a few months and noticeably declined to commit himself to Villa when asked direct questions about his future while at England's training camp in Austria. "I want to finish my career, go into my trophy room and see winners' medals," he said. "I've enjoyed my time at Aston Villa, it's a great club to be at and we are moving forward in the right direction ," Milner said. "Do I expect to be at Villa next season? I don't know. I've worked as hard as I can and concentrated on club football while the season has been on. Now it has finished, I'm focusing on England - and that's the only thing I am focusing on. To be linked with any clubs is flattering but I'm just concentrating on England at this time."

Guardian

James Milner wants crunch talks with Aston Villa BEFORE the World Cup to resolve his future after Man City firmed up their interest in him.

Mega-rich City have had an opening £20million bid rejected for Villa midfielder Milner after the star's superb season.

And Milner,24, now wants Villa to either convince him of the club's ambitions and tie him to a new contract - or let him to go City for around £30million.

Milner is attempting to arrange collective talks with Villa boss Martin O'Neill, owner Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Falkener before jetting to South Africa.

But the ace only has three days off before England fly to South Africa on World Cup duty.

He is anxious to leave for this summer's tournament with his future mapped out so he can concentrate on England.

Milner is indebted to O'Neill for helping progress his career since joining from Newcastle in August 2008 for £12million.

And he now has just two years left on his £45,000-a-week contract at Villa Park.

Villa want Milner to pen a new deal after the World Cup to make him their new highest earner above Ashley Young on £65,000-a-week.

And Milner is willing to discuss new terms providing the club still have realistic ambitions of making the top four and the Champions League.

But the star has been alarmed by Lerner's recent admission Villa must now sell-to-buy.

And he knows he could eclipse his salary by switching to Eastlands where significantly his silverware prospects would also be greater.

But he is represented by the PFA and they are determined to avoid any acrimonious negotiations.

Mirror

[Dawny]

Agree Zap. Totally.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Interesting. In my opinion, I hope it's sorted out before the world cup.

Now maybe I care too much but I don't want to go into every day wondering whether Milner will leave and having to wait until early july!!

[Dawny]

I care too, but i wont loose any sleep over. Players come and players go. It's the club I am loyal too.

[briny_ear]

Aston Villa: James Milner contract talks on hold until after World Cup

May 10 2010

MARTIN O’Neill insists Villa and James Milner are both happy to put the emerging England star’s contract talks on hold until after the World Cup.

But O’Neill joked that he could regret the decision if Milner strengthens his bargaining power by winning the famous trophy and the Golden Boot.

Blimey, I hope MON is right about this!

The World Cup is one big tapping-up fest.

Thursday 20 May

In an attempt to keep Milner Villa have indicated a willingness to bring forward contract talks scheduled for after the World Cup.

:?