honest_bertie Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) Thought it deserved its own topic seeing as there have been numerous links now. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** Your club needs you! City's Lescott could be on his way to boyhood club Villa Aston Villa are weighing up a move for Manchester City's out-of-favour defender Joleon Lescott to shore up their leaky defence. Owner Randy Lerner is set to back manager Paul Lambert this month in a bid to turn around the club's shaky form. Lerner remains committed to first-year boss Lambert, despite their troubles in the Premier League as a young side battles to find its feet. Villa are a point off the drop zone after conceding 15 goals without reply in three heavy losses over Christmas. A point at Swansea on New Year's Day stopped the rot, but Villa realise an experienced central defender is essential this month. Lescott, a local lad who grew up supporting Villa before playing for Wolves, Everton and now City, is available. But his large wages are an issue, as Lerner is still seeking to reduce player salaries, and both Everton and Sunderland are also interested in taking the 30-year-old. The £10million-rated ace will have to take a significant drop and negotiate with the champions for a pay-off to join Villa. In recent years, both Richard Dunne and Stephen Ireland left City with golden goodbyes to compensate them when they joined Villa. Despite struggling in the top-flight, Villa have a League Cup semi-final first leg at Bradford next Tuesday. Overall, Lerner is pleased with Lambert's work reducing the wage bill and nurturing their young academy graduates - he is delighted with the Scot's main summer signing, £7.5m Christian Benteke. The American is now willing to back Lambert again in this month's window. An experienced centre-back and a ball-winning midfielder are priorities, while the club are considering a new left-back too, amid concerns over the abilities of Joe Bennett and Eric Lichaj. Big-earning duo Shay Given and Darren Bent are both available if Villa get good offers, while Nottingham Forest's ex-Villa manager Alex McLeish fancies midfielder Barry Bannan. But outcast Alan Hutton has now returned to the club following his loan spell at Forest as the clubs negotiate over the percentage of his salary to pay if the Championship club keep him. Edited January 4, 2013 by admin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted January 4, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 4, 2013 Absolutely no chance of this one happening in my view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacbuddies Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 More likely to go back to Everton. Won't have to uproot his home and family and they are far better than us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Absolutely no chance of this one happening in my view. I share this view Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted January 4, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 4, 2013 I share this view Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Me three. Which, with my track record, means it's probably already a done deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I would love to have Lescott at the club but can see him returning to Everton if anywhere, which is also rumoured on Twitter. Would anyone take Heitinga off their hands instead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCforever1991 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Really would be a good signing. Vlaar and Lescott to sure things up at the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villastine Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 whatever about us.....Everton definitely cannot afford him. We can do it in a structured deal. pay Citeh a fee, Citeh pay up most of his contract, he sings for us on reduced wage. All parties are happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morpheus Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Would love to see this happen. Exactly what we need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daweii Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I'd love Lescott here and I'm not going to get my hopes up too much as it likely won't happen but the possibility of a Lescott and Vlaar back two or a Lescott, Vlaar and Baker back three is quite exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) Crikey, wasn't expecting that link. Doubt if we can afford him - although the article cites Dunne and Ireland as precedents for getting golden goodbyes from City, don't they also make up a big part of our too-large wages bill? Surely RL/PF wouldn't be dim enough to buy another player they can't afford? This is probably a bit of press speculation, putting 2+2 together, etc. I hate transfer speculation at the best of times but this window really matters because if we don't buy the right players we are in severe danger of going down so the speculation is even more unsettling. I just want it to be over! Edited January 4, 2013 by briny_ear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8pints Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) Weimann Benteke Delph Bennett Westwood Clark Lowton Lescott Baker Vlaar Guzan I think the sole addition of Lescott would make our team look a lot better. A lot more solid and organised. This is only a selection from what I'd play from our current team + Lescott. It may not be what you'd play but there we go Plus I'd want more additions, especially in midfield. But just to reiterate, I think Lescott would improve us drastically and I hope he comes in. Edited January 4, 2013 by 8pints Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob182 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Randy, Paul, Paul... GET IT DONE! Give him a three-year deal and all the bits and bobs about relegation release clauses etc. Keep him until he's about 34/35. Him and Vlaar at the back would be great. Also, he's not a blob like Dunne so he'd still be a good defender at 35. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Weimann Benteke Delph Bennett Westwood Clark Lowton Lescott Baker Vlaar Guzan I think the sole addition of Lescott would make our team look a lot better. A lot more solid and organised. This is only a selection from what I'd play from our current team + Lescott. It may not be what you'd play but there we go Plus I'd want more additions, especially in midfield. But just to reiterate, I think Lescott would improve us drastically and I hope he comes in. Mcduff would be proud of you 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) No, thanks. Edited January 4, 2013 by CarewsEyebrowDesigner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8pints Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Mcduff would be proud of you :P Haha, I did say from the the current squad, I know it's not the most attacking side, I'd especially want a new attacking player where I've put Delph. But, for me, Delph gets in over Ireland or Bannan or anyone else and a better central midfield partner for Westwood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I agree that it's unlikely but think he's exactly what we need at the moment. I don't see his reduced, although still hefty, wages being an obstacle as he'd surely be a regular starter. It's not going to happen, is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swerbs Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 He'll probably get a hefty fee from Man City too if they are looking to offload him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 He'll probably get a hefty fee from Man City too if they are looking to offload him. Mancini has already said he won't let him go, with toure at the acn there already a cb down. This just won't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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