Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[midnite]

The only one that's got any air time has been okore because he was wanted by Chelsea and it was a way of asking him "why choose Villa and not Chelsea?"

[eastie]

Alan Pardew is winning a battle to tweak Newcastle’s “Buy 'em young” policy by landing Darren Bent.

The £6million-rated Aston Villa striker is the subject of a scramble for his signature after being told his career at his current club is over.

Buying an established star of the 29-year-old's age would go against the Toon’s core desire to focus on players who are under 26 and therefore carry a sell-on value.

But manager Pardew has long argued that there should always be room for an exception - and, after last season's worrying brush with relegation, Bent is the man he wants.

Former Sunderland and Tottenham frontman Bent is a long-standing target of Pardew’s, after the pair worked together at Charlton Athletic.

If Newcastle push though their interest and make a deal for Bent work, it would be a major sign of backing to the manager who was under fire last season after such a poor showing.

Bent’s past as a hero for their arch-rivals from Wearside represents no bar to the Magpies' interest, although they face competition from the likes of Fulham as well as negotiations over Bent’s current £70,000-a-week wages.

Bent is said to be keen on a switch to St James’ Park and a fresh start after spending much of last season on the bench or sidelined by first-year Villa boss Paul Lambert.

He would also increase the English contingent in a squad some feel is overstocked with Frenchmen.

[john e]

I wonder what fans of other clubs are making of us buying these players? At least those around us who have done little or nothing this summer.

Listening to the radio and watching TV the Villa's transfer activity has been ignored. The papers have reported we've signed players. Nobody has gone, 'oh wow' - nationally speaking.

The fools. We are about to take over the world.  The World, I tell you! Heh heh heh...

I could not believe we were about the 7th story down on the BBC football pages! Shows just how London/ Top 4 centric the media has become. Not even an article to find out more about these ones, which when you consider how Benteke turned out, and how slow it is news wise, might have been worth a bit of research and a good write up.

I agree,
but then if say Everton or Newcastle were buying a load of unknown foreigners I would probably think the same, and not have a great deal of interest.
It's a Villa thing at the moment, a couple of young players no ones heard of isn't likely to make big news on SSN,

[Mister E]

Aaah yes, but come March they'll all be gnashing "Why did we not sign these?"  Why are they at a shit club like Villa?" as we steam past them into a comfortable top 8 finish.  Like they all did with Benteke this year.

Yep - I'm delighted that people are not trumpeting these signings all over the place. I'm hoping that there's a growing realisation of the good business we've done as we string the results together.

Doubtless, though, they'll be plenty of smart-arse journos claiming to have twigged it, in hindsight.

[Ads]

Without Bent, the Geordies will struggle again.

[Dante Lavelli]

Any idea what the transfer fees were for yesterday's signings?

[Ads]

£4 million for Okore and £1.5 million for Bacuna.

[RussellC]

I still think he'll look to buy another Central midfielder. He seems to like balance (in terms of a leftie and rightie) all over the pitch, so I could see him getting rid of Bannan but going for another left-footed central midfielder to rotate with Delph. Will Hughes maybe?

[Dante Lavelli]

I reckon Will Hughes would cost a bit too much for us. I'm not sure we've got the spare cash to have a 5-10m player on the bench.

[SteveN]

I like the understatement of the nature of our signings and the lack of press interest.  I read a fair amount of football related material and have not heard of any of our signings to date.

Takes you back to the old days before the internet and wall to wall football coverage on TV and in the press when we bought players no-one had heard of.  For the teenagers, Barry Stobart, Tommy Mitchinson, Dave Poutney....I could go on.   

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

I reckon Will Hughes would cost a bit too much for us. I'm not sure we've got the spare cash to have a 5-10m player on the bench.

I don't think that Lambert is buying any player to sit on the bench. They will all be expected to fight it out to see who gets on the pitch. Whoever is left out goes on the bench, price or reputation will mean nothing .

[eastie]

Seems newcastle are keen on bent but they are not prepared to pay £6m and want villa to lower the price according to Ssn.

[Jim Shoes]

I still think he'll look to buy another Central midfielder. He seems to like balance (in terms of a leftie and rightie) all over the pitch, so I could see him getting rid of Bannan but going for another left-footed central midfielder to rotate with Delph. Will Hughes maybe?

Possibly but remember we have Gary Gardner (as long as he is over his injuries) to come back this season so we may already have enough.

We still need more defenders imo, even if they are cover at fullback. Yes we can move CH's or midfielder's to cover if needed but I prefer to see specialist in key positions.

I will always be thankful to Darren Bent as without his goals when he signed we would have gone down however he is too good a player to be on the bench (and on occasion behind Bowery!) so even if he goes to a detestable club like the bar codes I wish him well.

I'm really enjoying this summer so far and it will be even better if I hear Given, Ireland, Bannan, Holman, Hutton are sold or released, along with a few others who's names I can't be arsed to recall.

[dave shelley]

SteveN, you've just made me shudder. Although, Mitchinson did score a cracker once, against Norwich I think.

[Villa-Villan]

Without Bent, the Geordies will struggle again.

Well in that case, I hope he doesn't sign for them.