Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[PeterWithesShin]

You need to put the right url in there TV.

[PeterWithesShin]

Meanwhile, The Metro on Bent.

Fulham are favourites to end Darren Bent’s Aston Villa misery after Cottagers boss Martin Jol admitted he needs more firepower next season.

The Cottagers are ending the Premier League season in the doldrums after suffering a fifth straight defeat when they were beaten by Liverpool at the weekend, and Dutchman Jol has revealed he could freshen up his squad with up to half-a-dozen new arrivals.

Bent has suffered a number of injuries this season but has fallen way down Villa manager Paul Lambert’s pecking order and is certain to leave the midlands club after this weekend’s match at Wigan.

Cardiff and Norwich are also interested in the England international and Leicester could make a bid as they seek to strengthen for another promotion push in the Championship next term.

Jol lamented his lack of attacking options this season, particularly after the sale of Clint Dempsey to Tottenham last August, and said: ‘We need four, five or six players but that’s normal at any club. We need to strengthen.

‘Our home form was always good last year. Last year we could score out of nothing – we had Clint Dempsey to score winners. With Dimitar Berbatov we gained somebody who could score goals but we lost things in other areas.’

[Toronto Villa]

You need to put the right url in there TV.

Bollocks. Let me fix it

Ok, should work now

[VancouverLion]

I know it is never going to happen, but just think of the incredible improvement adding a returning James Milner to this squad would make.

Was thinking the same PW, he would absolutely thrive in the 4-3-3 system and has all the attributes for a Lambert type player, him & Lescott would be brilliant business.

[Matt C]

Dwight Gayle from Peterborough?

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/peterborough-united/villa-join-the-hunt-for-posh-star-1-5090558

[VinnieChase84]

Nice quotes from Benty. I wish him all the best. His goals kept us in the league when he joined.

[ozzjim]

Good luck to Bent.

Thing is at club level, the top 4 sides could do a lot worse considering the number of games they have to play, than signing Bent.

Bent, Given, Ireland, Dunne and Hutton are the important outs as they offer so little to the squad for what they cost. I would imagine that you could get 8 players on their combined wages that would offer significantly more as a group playing wise.

Time to sit back and enjoy the summer, start Randy jet spotting, take unwitting photos during ground tours, stalk Karsa around Europe and dust off wikipedia, brace yourselves for some lower league fans forums. Pack your sun creams its going to be fun!

[Matt Collins]

On the basis that I'm unlikely to have heard of any of our signings again this summer, I'm pretty tempted to take the summer off from football to be honest. It's been far more harrowing than something you're supposed to enjoy should be! If we can keep Benteke and Weimann, and improve the defence which I still think is one of the worst in the league, then we should be a mid-table side next year.

[DrGonzo]

Meanwhile, The Metro on Bent.

Fulham are favourites to end Darren Bent’s Aston Villa misery after Cottagers boss Martin Jol admitted he needs more firepower next season.

Bejesus, Berbatov and Bent up front.  The most stationary 2 of a 4-4-2 you will ever see. 

[oldtimernow]

I'm determined to get the NRC used as a monetary term!

personally I prefer to use the Mars Bar equivalent

so how many NRCs would I get for my Mars Bar?

[PaulWinch again]

Good luck to Benty, he's never whinged and complained and his record when he plays is good.

[Steve67]

I hope we use the money wisely rather than take another gamble.

[Clampy]

Good luck to Benty, he's never whinged and complained and his record when he plays is good.

I'd love to keep him but from his point of view, you can hardly blame him for wanting to play. I think he's been great, he helped get us out of a bloody big hole a couple of seasons ago and like PWA has said, he's not whinged and just got on with it.

[PaulWinch again]

Give Weimann, Guzan and Benteke new deals now.

[Ron Manager]

I think a lot of us like Darren Bent. Although the wages go part of the way to compensate for the lack of action any footballer likes to be in

the action and in Bents case scoring as he has done at the top level for some years.

I hope he does go to Fulham. That club would suit him down to the ground.

If Benteke decides he belongs elsewhere with a club that would be in a financial position to offer him say 80,000 a week and not 40,000 as I suspect we will then Lambert will have to find another golden nugget in the foreign leagues. Thats a difficult ask but he must have given it some thought. Of course we hope thats not the case but in football as in life anything is possible.