Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[john e]

Top targets for me would be lescott and Barry - with just those signings alone i think we would become a top 10 team - i expect there will be a few fringe players going out of the door as well but the nucleas of a good side is there - spend wisely this summer and we could have a much better season next year.

don't think we will be signing any players who's best days are considered behind them,

we haven't come this far and took the high risk policy to just go back to what everyone else does straight away
like you I would love Barry back at Villa, but he doesn't fit the Lambert long term plan in my view, and I would be expecting another player from the likes of Genk, Crewe, Shef utd before we get one from Man City.

I think this is something we have all got to get used to, this is the way we are going, if it didn't happen last January its not going to happen close season

[cdbearsfan]

Correct. Our next three signings will likely be three players we currently haven't heard of.

[PeterWithesShin]

I've never heard of Messi.

[Concrete John]

I think it just needs to be mixed up a little.  Lescott and then 4 we haven't heard of, for example.

Lambert made some noises about him at the start of the Jan window, so it's one I'd class as possible. 

[eastie]

I think it just needs to be mixed up a little.  Lescott and then 4 we haven't heard of, for example.

Lambert made some noises about him at the start of the Jan window, so it's one I'd class as possible. 

Also rued the loss of dunnes experience through injury- his squad at Norwich contained very few younger lads so i don't think he has a problem bringing in experience if needed.

[NeilH]

Whilst I would not advocate getting Barry back, I do believe that Lambert is looking for some experience in the squad to match the raw talent we have. I’m sure Milner would leap at the opportunity to return to us and he would give us more width in the team and be able to swing the ball in for the big man.
Having said all that, if we think that either Barry, Milner of Lescott would be willing to take the kind of pay cut we’d expect from them to play for us once more, than we are deluding ourselves. I’m sure the likes of Sunderland, Liverpoo or the Spuds would be more than happy to meet these players wages, if Mercenarychester decide to offload them.

[eastie]

Whilst I would not advocate getting Barry back, I do believe that Lambert is looking for some experience in the squad to match the raw talent we have. I’m sure Milner would leap at the opportunity to return to us and he would give us more width in the team and be able to swing the ball in for the big man.
Having said all that, if we think that either Barry, Milner of Lescott would be willing to take the kind of pay cut we’d expect from them to play for us once more, than we are deluding ourselves. I’m sure the likes of Sunderland, Liverpoo or the Spuds would be more than happy to meet these players wages, if Mercenarychester decide to offload them.

Barry or lescott maybe would come but I can't see man city parting with Milner and if they did he would command a big fee and attract many other clubs- I'd love Milner in outer team but no chance of it in my opinion.

[NeilH]

I am struggling to see what Barry would add to the team. I loved Barry as a player at Villa, but would we really want him now, especially when we have similar players to him showing great promise.
Lescott would certainly shore up our defence, but surely if we were made available there would be a queue of clubs looking to get him who could offer far better salaries and Europa League football. We do need a good partner to Vlaar (if he stays and I’ve have said before that I’m not that fussed either way, if we could plunder Feyenoord for some of their great young talent) but I suspect Lambert will be casting his eye elsewhere.

[eastie]

Regarding barry he brings calmness , leadership and experience as well as being able to cover several positions .
I would certainly have him back.

[Concrete John]

If Milner comes back, he'd play centrally.  Barry us too similar to Westwood I think.  Lescott is just what the doctor ordered.

If any of them was to happen, then wages wise I think it'd be about £60k a week with them then getting a pay off from City as they want them out.

[ozzjim]

I am struggling to see what Barry would add to the team. I loved Barry as a player at Villa, but would we really want him now, especially when we have similar players to him showing great promise.
Lescott would certainly shore up our defence, but surely if we were made available there would be a queue of clubs looking to get him who could offer far better salaries and Europa League football. We do need a good partner to Vlaar (if he stays and I’ve have said before that I’m not that fussed either way, if we could plunder Feyenoord for some of their great young talent) but I suspect Lambert will be casting his eye elsewhere.

I think Barry would probably start for about a season, but then lose his place. Westwood and Delph are pretty consistent for the last 3 months now, and Sylla has promise. Gardner does too. Add in another defensive midfield player and a wide option and I think Barry would not be in that. KEA may well step up next season too. If we get Luke Murphy as has been linked, then I really cannot see any more midfielders coming in, or there being a need.

Lescott is a good signing if we can get him, and we would have a real threat at corners with him and Big Ben.

I think we might see 1-2 players over 26/27, but not many this summer.

Most important for me are an experienced centre half, a wide forward who can jink and find the key to a defence and a utility full back better than we have that can challenge Bennett and Lowton, maybe Naughton.

[eastie]

What is luke murphy like? We were linked to bridcutt at brighton too - he may be an option but i do foresee Gary Gardner becoming a big player for us next season as well.

[ozzjim]

Murphy, according to their manager at least, is a better player than Westwood and scores some goals.

Not a lot by his stats, but a few. 8-9 a season. Which would be lovely to add to our game. I think I have more trust in Lambert buying a player than I have had in any Villa manager possibly since Little, who got 2 wrong, that we all, to a man pretty much wanted at the time.

[john e]

as much as i would love some of these players coming back or to the Villa, they are tired old names trotted out every transfer window,
we just aren't there any more, like my ex wife once said to me, we have 'moved on'

just look at the last window, when fellow strugglers were signing Sisoko and Samba we were bringing in  an absolute unknown from France who even most of them hadn't heard of,
 no one could understand it, meltdown on the transfer thread, until maybe Monday night when Syla the unknown played a major part in our relegation battle, and we now all think he might well turn out to be a good player for us

I just think this is now Lambert and his backroom staffs mindset, I think he loves the fact we are the youngest team in the prem, he loves the togetherness of the squad, he loves the fact they will give their all on the pitch, and the big earners are all lined up on the side lines for now, ready to be shunted away

that's why I don't think we will be going down well trodden paths for a while, its a brand new policy and its different from anything that has gone before, that's my take on it anyway,
 obviously if we sign a couple of 30+ year olds I will have read it wrong but I think it will be more of the same from Lambert, and it gets my vote

[NeilH]

It just goes to show that we are 1 or 2 players away from being a really good team. If Lambert can  sort out our CB position and improve the service into the box, then I’ll be very excited about next season.
Whisper it quietly, but there is an air of Ron’s dream team of the mid 90’s about us. We just need to plug our obvious weak spots.