SPECULATION : Milner to City/Utd/Chelsea/Spurs

[Mazrim]

How could we sell him if he wants to stay? He has a contract with us and he can stay if he likes.

He cant go without our permission and we cant sell him without his.

[Maradona10]

Transfer requests are very rare these days, main reason is it waives the right to a percentage of a fee, thought we would have learn't that with Barry, even though he stated he wanted to leave, he never actually made a request.

[cheltenham_villa]

I would not put to much store on JM not saying either way whether he wants to stay or go. Remember if a club meets our valuation we could sell him even if he wanted to stay so saying nothing protects his position all ways. I suspect he would be offered around £90k pw by City if the papers are to be believed (a leap of faith I know) which we could match if money is the issue. My bet has always been that JM would be be more interested in a move to Chelsea or Man U as for all City's money and star players they have to build a side and also todays star signing can be tomorrows squad player - SWP anyone? I suspect that will be Barry's fate by next season. Thye are also not in the CL.

City clearly think they can bully us here. Well what the Barry saga proved was that RL and MON won't be bullied. £24m is a joke offer which will be rejected. If they want him that much, and assuming he wants to go which is unclear, then they will meet our valuation.

i suspect his wages would be over £100k per week. Barry i believe is on about £120k per week.

[theboyangel]

Villa’s hopes of winning their tug-of-war with Manchester City over England star James Milner have been boosted by their rivals buckling at the £30million asking price.

The claret and blues have already demonstrated their determination to keep the midfielder by instantly rejecting the Eastland club’s opening offer of £20million for the PFA Young Player of the Year.

City are poised to make a fresh offer of £24million for Milner, but it is understood they will stress they are unwilling to meet Villa’s valuation of the 24-year-old.

Keeping hold of their crown jewel would be viewed as a major triumph for Villa, with City almost certain to be one of their biggest rivals in the battle to reach the top four next season.

A transfer deadlock between the clubs would be reminiscent of the Gareth Barry saga of two years ago, when Villa dug in their heels and successfully fended off four bids from Liverpool for their then-skipper, who ironically joined City for £12million last summer.

The club are eager to tie the £12million club-record signing from Newcastle down to a new deal with manager Martin O’Neill, owner Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner all involved in an hour-long discussion with the player before the World Cup.

And Villa did not expect the player to depart for the World Cup with any new contract signed.

Milner still has two years remaining on his existing deal and is happy at the club.

His relationship with O’Neill is strong and he would only consider a move if Villa were to accept an offer from City – under no circumstances would he attempt to force through a move by handing in a transfer request.

Villa return for pre-season training today but Milner will not be present, after being granted an extended break along with the club’s other World Cup players, and will return on July 25.

City will reportedly turn their attention to Everton’s Mikel Arteta should their bid to land Milner fall through.

They have already spent over £60million on bolstering their team for next season.

express&star

Wow - a positive spin on the Milner situation!!! Finally media stating Milner is happy at Villa with a strong relationship with the manager!!!

[John]

City will reportedly turn their attention to Everton’s Mikel Arteta should their bid to land Milner fall through

Good luck in getting him from Everton for £24m or less. It seems that Manchester City like Liverpool a couple of seasons back are willing to throw money at clubs to get the players they want unless that player is a Villa player. No deal @ £24m we are not a selling club after all!

[JPAngel]

Unless Milner wants to leave, we will NOT sell him for £24mil. It's as simple as that, really.

[Nigel]

.... But again it’s based on no more facts than the earlier articles!

I doubt even the clubs know what is going to happen, definitely not from our side anyway.

[millbrook85]

I hope that E&S article is right. I don't think we should sell for anything less than our asking price and I would much prefer to keep him anyway.

[Wainy316]

Unless Milner wants to leave, we will NOT sell him for £24mil. It's as simple as that, really.

Even if he does we shouldn't. We have named our price, if it is not met, he is not sold.

[hoaxn]

The question is, what does JM do next?? Does he hand in a transfer request as his 'head has been turned' by the money of Citeh, does he sign a £75k new deal with us, earning more cash or does he sit out the remainder of his contract????

It doesn't matter what he does. He's under contract and it's upto us if we want to sell him. He has no right to demand anything. What's he going to do about it, go on strike?

Fine. He can rot. No reserve team football, no training, he will rapidly decrease and his career will be over.

Players signing 4 year contracts then demanding and weasling their way out of them after 2 years infuriates me no end.

This isn't about Jimmy btw. I love the bloke. Love him as a Villa player and don't think he's the sort of fella to demand a move away, especially after talking about liking the stability compared to Newcastle.

But that's how I'd deal with any player who tries to manipulate his way out of a contract.

[Gizmo]

.... But again it’s based on no more facts than the earlier articles!

I doubt even the clubs know what is going to happen, definitely not from our side anyway.

That's about the only factual thing I've read on the subject.

Nobody knows anything. Even Villa's £30m asking price is just a mickey mouse number made up by somebody and taken as gospel. I doubt if there's any evidence at all that Man City (or anybody else) have ever even considered buying him.

The only actual FACTS anybody knows is what James Milner said before the World Cup. ie: He thinks it's nice to be linked with other clubs but he's not prepared to talk about it.

Such a killjoy ain't i

[briny_ear]

.... But again it’s based on no more facts than the earlier articles!

I doubt even the clubs know what is going to happen, definitely not from our side anyway.

That's about the only factual thing I've read on the subject.

Nobody knows anything. Even Villa's £30m asking price is just a mickey mouse number made up by somebody and taken as gospel. I doubt if there's any evidence at all that Man City (or anybody else) have ever even considered buying him.

The only actual FACTS anybody knows is what James Milner said before the World Cup. ie: He thinks it's nice to be linked with other clubs but he's not prepared to talk about it.

Such a killjoy ain't i

I'm pretty sure he also said he wasn't sure where he'd be playing his football next season, which I think is a stronger and more plausible stimulus to all this speculation.

We all know in our hearts that Milner has been displaying all the behaviour of someone who is being tapped up. However, as dear old G Barry found out with Liverpool, a club that comes a-tapping doesn't always pay up when it comes to the crunch & this may well still happen with Man C.

[Hereford-Villan]

He did hand a transfer request in to Newcastle though

[moose]

Sorry for not reading the previous 202 pages in full, but I heard at work the other day that it's pretty much a done deal and the stumbling block was that Wright-Phillips doesn't want to join Villa.

I dunno which is worse - us wanting him in the first place, or him turning us down!

[Woodytom]

Sorry for not reading the previous 202 pages in full, but I heard at work the other day that it's pretty much a done deal and the stumbling block was that Wright-Phillips doesn't want to join Villa.

I dunno which is worse - us wanting him in the first place, or him turning us down!

Where do you work??

[Adam2003]

If he wants to go I'm sure he'll hand in a transfer request and that will be fine by me. If he thinks it's a good move from his point of view then fair enough.

We shouldn't expect players to tie themselves to clubs like we do and a transfer request in a private meeting with MON is the way to do it if he does want to move.

I just don't want to see him complaining in the papers a la Gareth Barry.

[legov]

If he wants to go I'm sure he'll hand in a transfer request and that will be fine by me. If he thinks it's a good move from his point of view then fair enough.

We shouldn't expect players to tie themselves to clubs like we do and a transfer request in a private meeting with MON is the way to do it if he does want to move.

I just don't want to see him complaining in the papers a la Gareth Barry.

Apparently he's NOT going to hand in a transfer request, and will go only if we agree a deal with City.

[legov]

If he wants to go I'm sure he'll hand in a transfer request and that will be fine by me. If he thinks it's a good move from his point of view then fair enough.

We shouldn't expect players to tie themselves to clubs like we do and a transfer request in a private meeting with MON is the way to do it if he does want to move.

I just don't want to see him complaining in the papers a la Gareth Barry.

Apparently he's NOT going to hand in a transfer request, and will go only if we agree a deal with City.

So if reports are to be believed we are well in control of the situation, which is good.

[PieFacE]

I wish it would just hurry up and end. It's too painful now.

[fran_villa]

I wonder will city try to let it go on for the summer to see if they can on the cheap,I'd like us to to just come out and say this is what we want,pay up or feck off..