Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[VillaAlways]

I can sort of see Villas standpoint.We never wanted or needed to sell Downing so could hold out for that price.Whelan has openly stated he needs to sell N'zog and had previously accepted £9,000.000 6 months ago so you can't blame Villa for bidding the same.Downing and Young both England Internationals,Downing 2 years left not one also.Of course they're going to go for a lot more

We need to just pay up now though and get him in

[Karl Bridges]

Goal.com hope this is bollocks, he's bobbins.

New Villa boss Alex McLeish also eyeing up former Rangers defender Alan Hutton for vacant right-back role as White Hart Lane quartet battle for a regular starting berth
19 Jul 2011 07:56:00

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

Aston Villa have made a move for Tottenham defender Vedran Corluka - and are confident of getting him if Chelsea can force through a deal for his best friend Luka Modric, Goal.com can disclose.

Villa have enquired about Croatia international Corluka as they look for an answer to their problematic right-back position.

New manager Alex McLeish is also keen on Corluka's Spurs team-mate and defensive rival Alan Hutton but Goal.com understands that he would prefer to land the Croatian.

The Midlands club have a hole to fill at right-back following the return of England Under-21 international Kyle Walker to White Hart Lane after his impressive loan spell at Villa last season.

The Spurs coaching staff anticipate that Walker will have a major role to play for the first team in the forthcoming season, with many expecting him to usurp Corluka as the club's preferred right-back.

With the versatile Younes Kaboul also able to fill in on the right side of defence, at least one of the quartet is expected to be surplus to requirements.

Hutton has two years left on his contract and fell out with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp last season. But his hopes of a move have been hindered by chairman Daniel Levy's £5 million price tag, which has put off some suitors.

Villa retain an interest in the Scotland international - McLeish also tried to buy Hutton when he was at Birmingham - but Corluka is regarded even more highly.

Redknapp is reluctant to allow the former Manchester City player to leave, although the situation may change if Chelsea are successful in their pursuit of Modric, who has made it clear he wants to join the west Londoners.

Chelsea have already made two bids for Modric of £22m and £27m, although £2m of that was performance-related, and are expected to table a third bid of around £30m. Spurs are adamant the playmaker will not be sold this summer and are refusing to negotiate with their London neighbours.

There are concerns at the club that Modric's desire to leave will rub off on his best friend and ally.

"Corluka and Modric go everywhere together and, if one is unsettled, as Modric is, then it will have an effect on the other," a Spurs source told Goal.com. "They are that close. Modric was influential in Corluka deciding to join Spurs in the first place and if he becomes unsettled by all the publicity surrounding [Modric], then Villa will be more confident of getting him."

However, Levy will want to recoup most of the £8.5m he spent on Corluka in 2008 and it is believed that it would take a bid of more than £7m for the Spurs chairman to do business.

Both Hutton and Corluka played 45 minutes apiece at right-back in Spurs' opening pre-season fixture, a 1-0 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa last Saturday.

[Malandro]

If anybody on here is interested, I'll sell my house for £250k above market value

Is it by the sea?

Sorry sold, somebody called Commoli just paid double what I was asking

[Phil from the upper holte]

Wasn't it Corluka that lasted about 20 mins at VP because he was being destroyed by Ash?

[LeeB]

Wasn't it Corluka that lasted about 20 mins at VP because he was being destroyed by Ash?

Wasn't that Zokora?

[CheeriOneill]

Although I would like N'Zogbia, I am pleased that we are finally showing some balls over both buying and selling players.

[Maradona10]

Well we didn't show any balls in our manager search but hey thats a different story, what stinks about this is we paid up Birmingham for McLeish even though we said he was a free agent. So now to have the high and mighty approach when we need a specific type of player stinks.

[Concrete John]

Growing speculation that Parker is very likely to rejoin Chelsea- sad but no surprise really.

Unless this is a loan deal, I think it would be a mistake for him.  He'll play for half a season until Essien is fit again and then only be seen in the League Cup.  None of which helps us though, as we'd need to pay a lot more than his price for a similar, if younger, player for our midfield.

[pedro25]

Wasn't it Corluka that lasted about 20 mins at VP because he was being destroyed by Ash?

Wasn't that Zokora?

It was Zakora, Corluka came on and kept Ash in his pocket, Spurs went on to win.  I remember thinking what good management and use of subs it was by Redknapp, things were going wrong so he made a change early enough to affect the outcome of the game, M'ON never did this at the time.

[eastie]

Cj - it was wolves who we wouldn't pay the fee for keane, Coventry then signed him from wolves and virtually doubled their money by selling him to inter Milan not much more than a year later.

[Concrete John]

Well we didn't show any balls in our manager search but hey thats a different story, what stinks about this is we paid up Birmingham for McLeish even though we said he was a free agent. So now to have the high and mighty approach when we need a specific type of player stinks.

I guess there's two sides to it; we may decide we won't get taken for mugs by Wigan after meeting the asking price of £9m and then seeing them raise it.  Or we think "Fuck it - it's only £1m" and pony up.

Not sure which way I'd jump, but with no other buyers I'd say we have the advantage.

[CJ]

Cj - it was wolves who we wouldn't pay the fee for keane, Coventry then signed him from wolves and virtually doubled their money by selling him to inter Milan not much more than a year later.

Ah yes - my mistake. Still missed out on a good player as we wouldn't move from £5.5m to £6m IIRC?

[pablopicasso_10]

anyone else think that if we do agree to the "changes" by whelan, that more will be very publicly forthcoming?

[Mazrim]

If anybody on here is interested, I'll sell my house for £250k above market value

Is it by the sea?

Sorry sold, somebody called Commoli just paid double what I was asking

And I bet he did it scientifically.

[dicedlam]

I think its a case of RL not wanting to be rogered twice by Whelan in such a small space of time.

If we do get him, you can be sure it wil be for an 'undisclosed fee' just for the both of them to save face.