Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[Steve67]

Getting in the young and energetic players seems to have paid off this season.  The fans have been superb in staying off their backs and Lambert asked us to be patient this season as they bedded in.  They are now a year more experienced and will hopefully have a much better start to next season, perhaps pushing for an upper-mid table finish whilst Lambert again buys some young, up and coming players this summer.  I'd expect a bid for the Crewe Captain, can't recall his name. I asked for Lambert and am happy to back his judgement in the transfer market this summer.  I also hope he gets rid of the Hutton's, Irelands and Given's to further reduce the wage bill.

[ozzjim]

I think IF we can keep this group, and add a 5-6 more of a similar quality we will be flying in all honesty. Reading the blog on the OS with Lambert talking about moving us forward I think we will be very active this summer again.

[Toronto Villa]

he's also quite guarded in what he says which is to be expected. I don't expect Benteke to go. I expect he, along with Lowton, Westwood and Weimann to get new deals and I expect that the players we expect to depart, to depart. I think we will finally detach ourselves from the anchor like contracts that represented the past few years and be able to move on properly.

[jeowje]

Lots of stories and speculation about Benteke in the national press, really hope we get this done and dusted quickly before it all starts to snowball and his head gets turned by it.

[adbo9]

Jordan Rhodes worth a punt if we lose Benteke ?? 

Do I remember right, we signed Benteke when the loan deal for Wilfried Bony fell through on deadline day - wonder if he could be back on the radar after another goal laden season........ looking at them, they seem very similar players in style, so couldn't see Lambert looking at getting both of them last summer......

[eastie]

I am taking some time out from worrying about villa and transfers and going on holiday on monday - i doubt much is going to happen regarding deals in the next few weeks and after the gruelling season it is time for rest and relaxation .
I believe next season we will be stronger and expect a top 10 finish but lets enjoy the summer and ashes !!

[eastie]

Aston Villa's young and hungry recruitment policy will continue this summer – with Paul Lambert insisting his claret and blue rebuild has only just begun.

Lambert has already been scouting potential newcomers and admits any close-season additions will be in keeping with his existing signings.

Villa scoured the lower leagues and overseas football last summer and in January in a bid to recruit players with a point to prove in the Premier League.

Matt Lowton, Ashley Westwood, Joe Bennett and Jordan Bowery were recruited from League Two, One and the Championship, while Christian Benteke and Yacouba Sylla were plucked from Belgian and French football.

Lambert has mixed in his new recruits with products of the club’s Bodymoor Heath academy during a rapid and emphatic culture change at the training ground.

In a testing season, his approach has been vindicated during a remarkable transformation which saw their top-flight status confirmed this week.

Villa conclude their campaign at relegated Wigan on Sunday before Lambert holds talks with players at the club and steps up his search for new faces.

“The remit of bringing in young players is still there because of the finances.

“There’s a lot of work to be done here and it will be a busy summer. We’ve got to keep building because it will be really tough again.

“Now you keep building. You don’t stop. You have to keep building this club. Not just the team but the club. That’s the next stop.

“I’ve got people in my head. I’m going to try to see if I can do something but we’ve got another massive game on Sunday and I want to win that one. Everybody in this room will have their perception of how many I need.

“My main priority is Sunday. There’s no point even talking about the squad before Sunday.”

In keeping with this philosophy, home-grown defensive duo Nathan Baker and Ciaran Clark are set to be offered new contracts to continue their development at Villa.

Baker and Clark have become first-team regulars this season as Lambert has placed his trust in a young claret and blue backline.

But the pair both have just over a year left on their contracts and Villa are keen to tie the academy graduates down on longer deals.

The centre-backs will be offered improved terms to reflect their respective rises to first-team prominence during the past few seasons.

With Richard Dunne out injured all season, Baker and Clark have been regulars in the heart of defence along with skipper Ron Vlaar.

In all competitions this season, Baker has made 27 starts and one substitute appearance while Clark has started 34 games and come off the bench once.

Lambert insists his players have earned a few weeks off to recharge their batteries after a challenging campaign, but claims a manager’s work is never done.

“The players will go away and they deserve to have a break to recharge and get ready for another one, because before you know it we’re back in.

“For the manager it never stops. You keep going and never look back.

“That’s something you try to do. We’ll get this one over, that’s the priority, then we’ll see what happens.”

[neo_Villan]

I think IF we can keep this group, and add a 5-6 more of a similar quality we will be flying in all honesty. Reading the blog on the OS with Lambert talking about moving us forward I think we will be very active this summer again.

I'm not even sure we need to actually buy 5-6 considering some of the young players coming through. Siegrist, Williams, Johnson, Carruthers and maybe one of Drennan/Burke are surely in line for promotions to the first team. Having Gardner back will be like a new signing too.

[MoetVillan]

It looks like our manager is going to "Go again"

[manic-road]

I totally agree with his policy, seeing how the players he bought have generally progressed I expect him to unearth future gems again.
 Who thought so many of the players he bought would perform as well have they have done?
Especially when not many of us had heard of most of them before.

[Jarpie]

I'd still prefer to get one or two more experienced players, preferably 25-28 year olds but those would probably take higher fees and wages.

[Steve67]

It sounds like we could be in for a busy summer with comings and goings.  Great stuff!!

[not3bad]

The rumours seem to be more about Weimann than Benteke today.

[pauliewalnuts]

Hmm.

I am not too sure if surviving relegation vindicates anything, really.

I believe in the idea of using more cheaper, younger players and looking for value, but not if it leads to season after season of Wiganesque survival battles. There's a thin line between modelling yourself on someone like Dortmund and just being a low spending club - it has to go somewhere.

Anyone can only buy cheap players, that's the easy bit. The difficult bit is building a team that can achieve something with them, and we have not seen that yet.

The real vindication will be in a couple of years time when we've progressed.

[PaulWinch again]

Hmm.

I am not too sure if surviving relegation vindicates anything, really.

I believe in the idea of using more cheaper, younger players and looking for value, but not if it leads to season after season of Wiganesque survival battles. There's a thin line between modelling yourself on someone like Dortmund and just being a low spending club - it has to go somewhere.

Anyone can only buy cheap players, that's the easy bit. The difficult bit is building a team that can achieve something with them, and we have not seen that yet.

The real vindication will be in a couple of years time when we've progressed.

Agreed we have to be moving up the table year on year.