Fabian Delph - Signed for Manchester City

[ciggiesnbeer]

I don't have a problem with Citeh.  They were getting decent crowds in the third division a few years ago.  They are a traditional club unlike fcukin Chavski.  All clubs have their delusional idiots.  Just hope we can compete at that level one days.

Manchester City have never been relegated to the Third Division. and certainly not a few years ago.

I think he means the third level of English football. Which is correct. 1998.

[Percy McCarthy]

I don't have a problem with Citeh.  They were getting decent crowds in the third division a few years ago.  They are a traditional club unlike fcukin Chavski.  All clubs have their delusional idiots.  Just hope we can compete at that level one days.

Manchester City have never been relegated to the Third Division. and certainly not a few years ago.

They have. They averaged over 30k like us.

[Risso]

I don't have a problem with Citeh.  They were getting decent crowds in the third division a few years ago.  They are a traditional club unlike fcukin Chavski.  All clubs have their delusional idiots.  Just hope we can compete at that level one days.

Manchester City have never been relegated to the Third Division. and certainly not a few years ago.

They have. They averaged over 30k like us.

I think he was being ironic Perce.

[Dante Lavelli]

I don't have a problem with Citeh.  They were getting decent crowds in the third division a few years ago.  They are a traditional club unlike fcukin Chavski.  All clubs have their delusional idiots.  Just hope we can compete at that level one days.

Manchester City have never been relegated to the Third Division. and certainly not a few years ago.

I'm guessing he means the third division in old money.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Well looks like I was wrong and he did have an offer after all. Fair play Fabian.

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~4859294,00.html

""He had an opportunity to join Man City and he weighed up his options and decided to stay with us, which we're obviously all delighted about."

[Toronto Villa]

Yep that's exactly how I figured it was. I think his decision just caught everyone by surprise.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Makes sense. I withdraw any scorn I poured on fellow posters. I regret none of the abuse I gave the press though

[PaulWinch again]

I'd love to know what convinced him to stay. I just hope at some point we negotiate a contract without that clause.

[kippaxvilla2]

I saw something that the clause could only be triggered if a CL club came in for him.  It might explain the apparent lack of interest elsewhere.

[adrenachrome]

Daily Heil

Fabian Delph saved Aston Villa from relegation last season and I'm delighted he's staying, says Tim Sherwood after midfielder's Manchester City U-turn

• Fabian Delph was booked in for a medical at Manchester City on Saturday

• City manager Manuel Pellegrini had triggered the England midfielder’s £8million release clause

• But Delph has instead pledged his future to Villa

By Laurie Whitwell for the Daily Mail

Published: 19:16, 12 July 2015 | Updated: 20:02, 12 July 2015


Tim Sherwood has hailed Fabian Delph’s decision to remain at Aston Villa after confirming the club captain turned down an opportunity to join Manchester City.

Delph was booked in for a medical at City after Manuel Pellegrini triggered the England midfielder’s £8million release clause.

The 25-year-old had been poised to sign after agreeing terms but had an eleventh-hour change of heart and instead pledged his future to Villa.

‘He had an opportunity to join Man City and he weighed up his options and decided to stay with us, which we’re obviously all delighted about,’ Sherwood told AVTV.

‘We are looking to build something here and we’re looking to keep our best players. Fabian is certainly one of those.

‘It’s just an example of the measure of the guy really that he decided to stay – the loyalty he’s shown to the Aston Villa fans, the football club and the chairman. And I’m delighted to have him next season.’

Sherwood took the bold step of crediting Delph, Villa’s player of the season, with providing the defining influence in surviving relegation.

‘He’s a leader,’ said the Villa manager. ‘I could go as much as to say that if Fabian Delph wasn’t with us last season we wouldn’t be in the Premier League now.

‘He’s someone I had the ear of. He was very instrumental in what I wanted to do.

‘He knew exactly what I wanted from the team and he drove them on. It can’t always come from the manager – the instructions – sometimes someone on the pitch needs to translate that information and Fabian certainly did that.’

Delph agonised over his choice, realising that City provided an opportunity of Champions League football and Premier League titles races. He is understood to have told chief executive Tom Fox of his intention to join City.

But he dramatically changed his mind and elected to stay at Villa for regular football at a place he holds dear. He will remain with his pregnant wife Natalie until their second child is born, rather than join up with the squad in Portugal.

[Nelly]

Just to play devil's advocate, seems the media were very much right on this one then? Their reporting was accurate apparently. Never thought I'd really say that!

[Matt Collins]

Looks it to me - obviously a few speculative pieces along the way but the overall narrative seems true. It's very unlikely that the mail plus Stuart James plus John Percy would be so definitive if there wasn't a lot in it

[simboy]

I think the Sterling deal made the difference.

 Just seems odd to me that Delph is off for a medical on the Saturday which wasnt denied at either club or by the player.

 The Scousers realise theyre going to be saddled with a [non-playing] wage whore for another year and go back to Citeh coupled with Sterling seeing he was not their only target possibly dropping certain demands. We'll never know.

however obviously i prefer to believe that Delph is a man of honour who loves the club more than anyone since Ian Taylor and is proud to captain us.
   

[mr underhill]

whatever the truth, the fact is he turned down Croesus type wealth to stay, which in my book restores some faith in PL era players

[puppyfeat]

I think the Sterling deal made the difference.

 Just seems odd to me that Delph is off for a medical on the Saturday which wasnt denied at either club or by the player.

 The Scousers realise theyre going to be saddled with a [non-playing] wage whore for another year and go back to Citeh coupled with Sterling seeing he was not their only target possibly dropping certain demands. We'll never know.

however obviously i prefer to believe that Delph is a man of honour who loves the club more than anyone since Ian Taylor and is proud to captain us.
   

Yes I reckon the Sterling deal had something to do with it too. More than his love of Villa, anyway. Perhaps he considered he was worth more than City were offering him (even if he had agreed terms with them) especially in comparison to Sterling, his likelihood of getting the number of appearances he'd like (and the games he was likely to play in) and his England career. Well I would have done if I were him anyway. Glad he's staying obvs but I don't think club loyalty was the main reason.