Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[paul_e]

Montpellier president claiming we have bid for some bloke called Bellend according to Twitter Blx.
http://www.footballcourier.com/news/story/2269156/montpellier-president-claims-aston-villa-has-bid-for-younes-belh.html

Tenuous link but could he be good friends with KEA who has put him forward as a good signing and will try to help us out on this?

It does seem a strange link in terms of his profile but in terms of the fit to the club I can see him being perfect, the key being that plays all across the pitch in the attacking midfield roles so offers competition for gabby and weimann and gives the option of creativity in the centre.

[Malandro]

I doubt we will see Belhanda, their chairman claims he can choose between AC Milan, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray and us.
Unless he is a sadist.

[Concrete John]

Tonev, Popov and and now Belhanda. 

I feel the first two are probably true and we are interested/have bid, although I have now idea about Belhanda.  What's noticeable to me is they all play in pretty much the same position, which is basically N'Zogbia's and/or Gabby and Weimann.  Cover there is an issue and the extra attacking threat N'Zog brings weakens us too much defensively, meaning he probably needs replacing with someone who brings that and also puts a shift in.   

Does this remind anyone else of last summer, when we were linked to just about every young attacking FB in the lower leagues before signing Lowton and Bennett?  The theory then is that Lambert works by having a dossier on a number of players who fits the bill he wants.  That way, if option A doesn't come of, he can move to option B smoothly and eventually get his man.  I think we might be seeing that here.

[Ads]

If you’re purchasing an asset for potentially several hundred thousand pounds up to several million, with a similar outlay over the life-span of that asset, then you would hope the manager would undertake proper due diligence.

After we bought Westwood it emerged that we had a 30 page dossier on him.

I love that word, dossier. It makes us sound like we carry out clandestine intelligence operations in our spare time. Dossier.

[damon loves JT]

The Irish Lions on fb seem to think that Tonev is not with the Bulgarian squad and is in the UK.

Tonev is not with the Bulgarian team as he had to play his last game of the season in Poland on Sunday. According to the Bulgarian media he is supposed to arrive in Birmingham for medicals today.

Now tsvet is what I call a source.

[damon loves JT]

I love that word, dossier. It makes us sound like we carry out clandestine intelligence operations in our spare time. Dossier.

Under MON we had a network of dossers lying on park benches, drinking Special and shouting at the pigeons

[FatSam]

I don't know if this has already been posted, but I would hope that this counts against him when it comes to signing for us.

[supertom]

I don't know if this has already been posted, but I would hope that this counts against him when it comes to signing for us.

I'd avoid to be honest. It could be someone talking bollocks to earn a quick buck, but we can't have a mini-Collins/Dunne on our hands. I would also worry about Austin's fitness at Prem level. If he's knocking them back at clubs too much (and god knows what else) maybe we're better off looking at someone better, and probably cheaper, abroad.

[Chipsticks]

I don't know if this has already been posted, but I would hope that this counts against him when it comes to signing for us.

I'd avoid to be honest. It could be someone talking bollocks to earn a quick buck, but we can't have a mini-Collins/Dunne on our hands. I would also worry about Austin's fitness at Prem level. If he's knocking them back at clubs too much (and god knows what else) maybe we're better off looking at someone better, and probably cheaper, abroad.

He's a MON-type signing, which is never a good thing.

[PaulWinch again]

If the Montpellier president is claiming we've bid I can't see why it wouldn't be true, but looking at the other clubs involved I doubt we've got a chance.

[pauliewalnuts]

Isn't that Montpellier chairman completely hatstand, though?

He's always in that Observer 'Well, Fancy That!' style column, ranting about the gays or how he'll piss up the leg of his manager if results don't improve etc etc

[mattjpa]

Charlie Austin sounds like a complete tool. After reading that I think theres no way we will sign him and I dont want us to - he has no future at B6, I hope....

[damon loves JT]

Isn't that Montpellier chairman completely hatstand, though?

He's always in that Observer 'Well, Fancy That!' style column, ranting about the gays or how he'll piss up the leg of his manager if results don't improve etc etc

He is the French Whelan.

[Dante Lavelli]

After we bought Westwood it emerged that we had a 30 page dossier on him.

Wasn't it a 30 MATCH dossier?  Small details, but that is pretty much a whole season whereas look how well we've collectively filled over one hundred pages without actually saying anything.

[Clampy]

I see some scamp has already listed Belhanda as a Villa player on Wikipedia.