SPECULATION : Milner to City/Utd/Chelsea/Spurs

[deeps]

no, no, no, a thousand times NO. We are NOT a selling club, Bluemancs can bugger off. we are The Villa, the Lion is on the march and we have our own business to attend to, and that business includes James Milner, thankyou very much.

this.

if we lose milner i do fear for us tbh.

[The_Steve]

Last time I checked both clubs will be in the Europa League next season with aspirations of breaking the top 4th. I'm confident we won't sell Milner, unless of course he hands in a transfer request like he did with Newcastle (completely different situation and club). Milner doesn't strike me as a player motivated by money but footballing reasons, he'd benefit more from staying here in my opinion. We are by no means poor, Randy just wants a sustainable transfer policy unlike City. Ultimately, we won't sell unless Milner asks to leave.

[nnock1984]

I'd rather lose Ashley Young, but if we did lose Milner to Man City, they do have some players i'd like to maybe involve in a swap:

Hart

Richards

Onuoha

Ireland

SWP

Bellamy

RSC

15m (to spend on a striker) + Richards + Ireland and I'd be happy enough

[avfc89]

The 20 Million fee is laughable for JM by Sky, really amusing. If City seriously want to capture Milner it's going to take a lot more than 20 Million; they'll need to double that presumed offer IMO. I'm not fully convinced Milner will be attracted to City; they don't have Champions League football to offer him and I don't believe he's motivated by substantial riches that they can present him with.

I wouldn't get downbeat about this speculation; I firmly believe JM will be given a lucrative contract by ourselves, and we have already seen him progress at this club, capturing the YPOTY award and securing a place in England's world cup squad. Why would he jeopardise everything he has here, for City's gluttonous advances? It's not logical for somebody of Milner's attitude.

[VillaChris]

If City offered us Needum Onouha and Stephen Ireland + £15 Million. I'd take it personally. Good replacement aswell as another very good defender who can play RB and CB. Plus if that £15 Million is spent on a very good striker than it's a good deal.

I wouldn't do just cash only though.

Same for me.

Milner is excellent and would be a shame to lose him but he's still very green as a central midfield so 25-30m would be fantastic business or those players with still a bit of money.

We did well off them last summer with Dunney so no reason we shouldn't be negative with any players coming in part exchange.

Spurs have shown you can lose key players and still challenge, we lost Barry and Laursen and still challenged on three fronts.

I still think Milner will stay another season unless Man. City put in a ridiculous offer we just have to accept.

[TRO]

I think Milner will go and if we get a bid close to £30m or a decent player plus cash deal then I would take it!

He's a good player but I don't think he's as good as some make out and I actually would prefer it if he wasn't in centre midfield anyway!

I agree with you.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I think that's pretty laughable. The only reason he is wanted for so much is because of how good he has been in central midfield. He was always a decent winger but never anything special. In central midfield, he is so much different, the heartbeat of most attacks, great movement, takes up great positions, always looking to create and drive forward.

[tonyh29]

Hart +Ireland and £10m would be a tempting offer on paper

but i dont really know how much truth their is in this rumour so i wont get carried away just yet

[KAZZAM]

20 mill no thanks Man city payed 24 mill for Lescott so Milner must be atleast 27 + mill.

[KAZZAM]

Anyway why move to a smaller club wtf have Man city ever done.

[GarethRDR]

If Citeh want Milner they'll need something along the lines of...

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Anyway why move to a smaller club wtf have Man city ever done.

In that case I don't see why Tevez don't leave Man City for someone like Forest. Forest have a better history therefore are better.

Not saying Man City are a bigger club but well at the moment, they are.

[TRO]

I think that's pretty laughable. The only reason he is wanted for so much is because of how good he has been in central midfield. He was always a decent winger but never anything special. In central midfield, he is so much different, the heartbeat of most attacks, great movement, takes up great positions, always looking to create and drive forward.

I simply don't associate great movement and great positions with the season we've just had, and i don't see anyone giving us that.

great endeavour, great work rate .....yes

according to one report ferguson is alleged to have said no to speculation on Milner....."not creative enough"

[Hanky]

Anyway why move to a smaller club wtf have Man city ever done.

In that case I don't see why Tevez don't leave Man City for someone like Forest. Forest have a better history therefore are better.

Not saying Man City are a bigger club but well at the moment, they are.

They'll struggle to attract the sort of players they are desperate for though without those two little words.

At the moment, competition wise, they cannot offer Milner more than what we have. I'm hoping that would be good enough for him.

[Rich_D]

Anyway why move to a smaller club wtf have Man city ever done.

In that case I don't see why Tevez don't leave Man City for someone like Forest. Forest have a better history therefore are better.

Not saying Man City are a bigger club but well at the moment, they are.

I agree. Please don't start sounding like the pricks in Liverpool that say they should be playing class football and have the best footballers in the world because of their history. It is what happens today that matters.

Can i see him going? No. 1) MoN will snub it. 2) Randy will listen to MoN. 3) I think JM is loyal enough to try and get us to the next step (CL)

If he goes, i wouldn't take money alone. Ireland, Richards, Onuoha, Hart all to be in contention for a swap + money deal.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I think that's pretty laughable. The only reason he is wanted for so much is because of how good he has been in central midfield. He was always a decent winger but never anything special. In central midfield, he is so much different, the heartbeat of most attacks, great movement, takes up great positions, always looking to create and drive forward.

I simply don't associate great movement and great positions with the season we've just had, and i don't see anyone giving us that.

great endeavour, great work rate .....yes

according to one report ferguson is alleged to have said no to speculation on Milner....."not creative enough"

Find me that quote.

Also, how is he meant to create much with Carew and Agbonlahor up top for the most part of the season? In terms of making clever runs, there one of the worst pairing in the league for that sort of thing.

Infact when people do make decent runs, Milner usually finds them. Heskey 3 times, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Blackburn, 3 similar runs, 3 clever passes, 3 goals. The pass he made for the Dunne goal vs Hull aswell.

Our midfield of Downing, Milner coming inside and linking with the forwards is very creative and for a spell when Heskey was on form we played really good attacking creative football but Heskey soon lost form and we went back to Carew who is a different player in that his movement and cleverness of touch isn't as good (but way more of a goal threat I might add).

You can't ask a midfield player to slot clever passes through to players when:

Agbonlahor and Carew - Poor movement yes? (do you agree?)

Young - Stays wide, rarely ever comes off his flank.

Downing - If you watch these two, these are the two who mainly move the ball with each other, quick clever passing, looking to find each other.

I don't think you take note of the movement and amount of times Milner finds himself space but is not picked out. Like against Blackburn at home, on various occasions he was screaming for the ball but did not recieve it in behind the opposition midfield and then when he did get it, the strikers movements are basically just the most simple move wide movements, no cross-over's, no out to in movements or in to out etc...

Heck you could play Xavi in our team and I doubt he'd be able to create much in our team.

[Jasevilla]

Ok thought i would chip in with my thoughts on the Milner to City thing for what it's worth!

Sky sports quoting 20m? ..NO CHANCE!! :shock:

Do they really think we would be stupid enough to let him go for peanuts?!

Everything is in our favour here surely?

1. His age

2. The fact he is Englands hottest young prospect at the mo & that in a key position.

3. He is British so like gold dust with the new "8 british players" rule coming in soon.

4. According to rumours the top 3 teams Man City, Man Utd & Chelsea are all after him 2 of those being the richest clubs in the World!!!

5. Man City have already made a rod for their own backs by paying what they did for Lescott & 1 or 2 others.. Milner is younger, hotter & plays in arguably the most important position on the pitch & can play in other positions too!!

6. We have no real need to sell as Lerner has promised funds are avaliable anyway... Ok it would boost those funds but then we would still have to replace him & everybody would then over-charge us for all our signings making the money practically worthless anyways!!

7. He is really happy at VP & was desperate to come back to us after his 1st spell here (but for that idiot Newcastle owner). So after finally finding his "Home" would he really want to leave so soon when everything is going so well?

8. He is just about to showcase his talents on the biggest stage possible in a World Cup finals... Surely this means to accept any price now would simply be stupid as his value could sky rocket in a few weeks time?!

Have to say you can kind of see the benefit of MON's buy British policy now though with this new "8 Brits rule" coming in.. Surely it puts us in a massively strong position?

So for me start looking at 35-40m & maybe that would be worth considering... to let him go for less would be giving away the 1st really powerfull position we have had for a long long time surely?

SPOT ON,whats he going to be worth in a couple more years and bossing the England team,not a prayer of Randy selling him or young yet.

[AngelGabriel]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/05/17/1929983/aston-villa-owner-randy-lerner-im-not-worried-about-losing-james-

Englishman has attracted interest from the Premier League's elite...

By Anthony Sciarrino

May 17, 2010 11:48:00 PM

Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner believes that star midfielder James Milner will not leave the club this summer despite heavy interest from Manchester City.

Reports suggest that City will offer £24million for the England international, looking to sign Milner before he joins the Three Lions at the World Cup in a few weeks time.

City could include Nedum Onuoha in a deal for Milner, but Lerner insists that the Englishman will be with Villa next season.

“I'm not worried about losing James Milner. I think James will play for Aston Villa and should play for Aston Villa,” Lerner told the Daily Mail.

“I'm not dismissive of the realities that a player that has received the attention and acclaim of James is going to spark discussion and debate about a move and so on. The answer is "No", I don't worry about him leaving because he is wanted at this club.”

Milner contributed seven goals and 12 assists in the Premier League season, helping Villa compete for a Champions League spot for much of the season before settling for sixth place and a playoff spot in the UEFA Europa League.

Randy clears it up, he expects James to stay on for next season.

[razorvillain]

Milner will be sold....I have little doubt of that. His valuation will not be much more than 20 million--close to the 24 million that was spent on Lescott last year (which was considered over-the-top at the time). Those of you that think anyone will pay 30-40 million for Milner are dreaming. I think he is a very good player, but a bit overrated by many on this message board. I just hope that he isn't sold unless a comparably effective central midfield replacement has been arranged beforehand (Carrick, Benayoun, Ireland, Parker--I would be happy take any of these for plus some cash to help buy a great striker for Milner).

[ozvillafan]

Milner will be sold....I have little doubt of that.

The answer is "No", I don't worry about him leaving because he is wanted at this club.”

You may be right, Razorvillan....

... but I'm going to side with Randy in the hope that he stays.