Transfer Speculation / Gossip

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Lescott would be great but can't see it happening.
Above all, we still need a/two creative midfielders. Barry/Milner ideally but beyond our budget!?
With Kojak back, and later Benteke, we should be ok there, but they need service. Redmond? Hoolahan? (I'm more obsessed with Norwich than Lambert is ffs!!!).

[adrenachrome]

This worries me a bit.

Brendan McLoughlin ‏@bren_mcloughlin  22m
No fresh deals this summer 4 Agbonlahor, Delph, Vlaar - players not out of contract for next season.  May invite interest esp in Delph #avfc

No deals for Delph and Vlaar would be disastrous.

This is in step with what this chap has stated previously:

Brendan McLoughlin @bren_mcloughlin  ·  May 12

If Lerner still here for entire summer - and my understanding is no buyer waiting in wings - then budget will be slashed even from prev sans(sic)

[PeterWithesShin]

No contract for Vlaar, and especially Delph would be major mentalism.

[pauliewalnuts]

Christ almighty, budget slashed on previous seasons?

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

"Budget slashed!"
Have just pissed my pants.
Metaphorically.
Just a bit damp.
So far.

[ozzjim]

No contract for Vlaar, and especially Delph would be major mentalism.

Both will attract bids. And I would bet they will be sold.

[dave shelley]

Who is Brendan McLoughlin please?

[Sexual Ealing]

I suppose they look at it as it's an extra 780k a year. Over three years it's the same as paying a couple of mill fee and a slight wage increase.

I do get that, but it's still a couple of million that they don't need to spend. I know the PL money is obscene but a couple of million pounds is still significant to anyone, surely.

[olaftab]

Micah Richards has made 9 league appearances in 2 years. I'd be vary wary of signing him.

But we need to keep bomb squad numbers up.

[adrenachrome]

The offer mentioned is 35k PW for 4 years from Leicester, according to other sources.

Birmingham Mail

Marc Albrighton set to leave Villa for Premier League rivals

Winger likely to leave at the end of June with Aston Villa struggling to match better contract offer from rival top-flight club


    May 19, 2014 22:30
    By Mat Kendrick

Marc Albrighton is poised to leave Aston Villa this summer with the claret and blues reluctant to match a better offer from a rival Premier League club.

Albrighton is out of contract at the end of next month and although Villa would like to keep him, they face being gazumped by a top-flight foe.

It is believed another Premier League club are prepared to give the 24-year-old winger a longer, more lucrative contract than Villa can offer.

Albrighton will be available on a free transfer when his deal expires and Leicester, Everton and Sunderland have been monitoring his situation.

The Bodymoor Heath academy graduate was Villa’s most consistent player late last season after returning from a loan spell at Wigan with a point to prove.

It comes as Paul Lambert re-iterated his desire to bring in proven Premier League players despite the uncertainty surrounding the club’s future.

Lambert has been given the go ahead to continue as Villa manager after jetting to the United States to meet chairman Randy Lerner late last week.

The 44-year-old Glaswegian admits Lerner publicly placing the club on the market gives him an even bigger challenge in terms of player recruitment.

Lambert stands by his belief Villa need better a better calibre of footballer, but cannot say with any certainty that sufficient funds will be made available.


“I know the club needs better quality, proven footballers,” said Lambert.

“That goes without saying. It’s a club that should be up in that top half anyway. The name Aston Villa itself will make people want to come to it.

“Okay the uncertainty is, ‘who is going to be the chairman or whatever the case may be’, but that won’t stop people from coming.”

Asked if Lerner would be prepared to finance better players, even though he is selling the club, Lambert replied: “You’ll still have to work within the circumstances that have been set to you.”

Pushed on whether that meant more or less money than last season, Lambert suggested his transfer targets would be considered on a case by case basis.

“That’s something that we’ll go through in time, what will happen on that side of it.

“I’ll identify players that I think will come in here, but this football club needs strong players to carry it through.

“You’re going to go and try, that’s for sure. I think that will happen as time goes on. If I see one and think he’ll come in and do it then I’ll go and try and see if we can do it.”

When pressed on the topic of Villa’s playing budget for the summer, Lambert insisted the biggest indicator was the fact the club is on the market.

He added: “I prefer to go to Harrods. I want it, it needs it. It’s not my money. I think people have to remember the club’s up for sale, that’s the big answer.”

[adrenachrome]

Who is Brendan McLoughlin please?

Journo for The Times (not sure if freelance).

Specialises in WM Football Clubs and used to be on Express and Star staff.

[dave shelley]

Who is Brendan McLoughlin please?

Journo for The Times (not sure if freelance).



Specialises in WM Football Clubs and used to be on Express and Star staff.

Thank you.

[tomd2103]

NZogbia being reported as surplus. Him, Given, Bent and Hutton go, then you could see there being a decent amount of wriggle room. Trouble is, NZogbia in form is a very decent player, and we won't sign anyone better IMO creatively.

I can probably count on one hand the number of good games he has had for us since he has been at the club.  Stephen Ireland probably had more of an impact and that is saying something.   

[clash city rocker]

Fuck me..is there any good news ? Ok Albrighton might not be a world beater but he is an asset that is being given away..as for the purse strings might be tighter than the season just gone and it adds up to....disaster waiting to happen

[Sexual Ealing]

NZogbia being reported as surplus. Him, Given, Bent and Hutton go, then you could see there being a decent amount of wriggle room. Trouble is, NZogbia in form is a very decent player, and we won't sign anyone better IMO creatively.

I can probably count on one hand the number of good games he has had for us since he has been at the club.  Stephen Ireland probably had more of an impact and that is saying something.   

We are a bit of a graveyard for the mercurial trickster. It never really works when we buy them in. I guess Merson (or half a season of Carbone) were the last ones to have an impact.