Tom Cleverley - Loan Confirmed

[Matt C]

A welcome and unexpected boost to our title chase.

[DrGonzo]

  If, as reported, we have him on a season long loan how can his contract end in January? 
 
  We are moving forward, a reassuring August for us as fans. By mid-July I was beginning to despair, but with very little outlay we have managed to put ourselves into a stronger position than we were in.

[Top Cat]

Do we really have to call him Top Cat?

Surely there's only one Top Cat allowed on H&V

[Dave]

  If, as reported, we have him on a season long loan how can his contract end in January?

Apparently there is a break clause.

So either we or somebody else can sign him permanently in January if all parties agree.

If that doesn't happen, we keep him until May. And either we then sign him for nothing, or somebody else does.

[spangley1812]

  If, as reported, we have him on a season long loan how can his contract end in January? 
 
  We are moving forward, a reassuring August for us as fans. By mid-July I was beginning to despair, but with very little outlay we have managed to put ourselves into a stronger position than we were in.

His contract with Man Ure runs out next summer........He can sign a pre-contract agreement (Bosman) with a foreign club next January

[jwarry]

Watching this has made me think a bit differently about what we are getting

http://youtu.be/t3-esOVsEwk

Never had him down as the aggressive type.  Bit of Roy in there don't you think?

[adrenachrome]

Torygraph

Tom Cleverley's agent tests patience of Aston Villa and Manchester United as deal goes to the wire

Premier League board gives its approval 16 hours after transfer deadline as £8m loan move for midfielder almost collapses due to disagreements with agent over salary

By John Percy, and Mark Ogden

9:30PM BST 02 Sep 2014

 Tom Cleverley completed a loan move to Aston Villa on Tuesday after Paul Lambert’s late bid was agreed by the Premier League more than 16 hours after the transfer deadline.

Cleverley, the Manchester United midfielder, has signed a season-long deal at Villa with the option of a permanent £7.5 million move in January, following a remarkable 24 hours of frantic negotiations.

Lambert was convinced he had missed out on the England international on Monday evening after both Villa and United grew exasperated with Cleverley’s adviser Simon Kennedy, but revived the deal as a loan arrangement minutes before the window officially closed at 11pm.

The Villa manager was still at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training ground in the early hours of Tuesday waiting to discover if the relevant paperwork had been received by the Premier League in time. But later in the afternoon he was informed Cleverley’s loan move had been ratified by the League after lengthy talks at board level.

Villa’s initial £8 million offer was accepted by United last week, as revealed by Telegraph Sport, and both Lambert and assistant manager Roy Keane had held talks with the 25-year-old in an attempt to convince him to join.

 However, despite United agreeing the fee and a £2 million pay-off for Cleverley, the move appeared doomed on deadline day due to disagreements with Kennedy over salary expectations.

Both Villa and United were said to have been “furious and frustrated” over Kennedy’s conduct during the entire negotiation process, which started early last week.

En route to Villa’s training ground for a proposed medical, Kennedy is understood to have told United that Everton were prepared to pay Cleverley’s wages and the transfer fee and made alternative arrangements to travel to Finch Farm, the Merseysiders’ training base.

However, Everton chairman Bill Kenwright told Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman, they could not afford the deal so the move was scrapped.

Villa resurrected the deal towards the end of the deadline, after help from United, who was keen to assist Cleverley to establish himself at a new club with his first-team chances at Old Trafford bleak under new manager Louis van Gaal.

 Both clubs were so disappointed with Kennedy’s conduct that it formed the basis of their plea to the Premier League to agree the deal, with the application considered at board level before it was finally sanctioned at about 3.30pm on Tuesday, the deal sheet having been submitted before the deadline. Kennedy was unavailable for comment on Tuesday.

The deal sheet, introduced in 2011, allows clubs to confirm a transfer has been reached, with the League then giving additional time for the remaining documentation to be submitted. With domestic transfers, such as that of Danny Welbeck’s £16 million move to Arsenal, teams have until 1am to provide the full paperwork. On Tuesday night, the Premier League said it was satisfied the Cleverley deal had been lodged in time.

Cleverley, meanwhile, is determined to seize his chance at Villa after being told he could leave by Van Gaal, claiming it was an “easy” decision to join.

He said: “I have got to get back playing and hopefully as a by-product of that I can get back in the England team. The thing I am concentrating on though is trying to come in and hit the ground running so I can help Aston Villa.

“Playing football is what matters most to me and I’m looking forward to getting back to what I know I can do. The prospect of working under the manager and Roy, who were both fantastic midfielders in their playing careers, made the decision to come to Villa an easy one.”

With less than 12 months left on his contract at Old Trafford, Cleverley will be free to speak to other clubs and could leave United permanently in January. Villa will have the first option on signing him if he impresses.

For Lambert, his capture of Cleverley represents a successful transfer window in which he has made six signings, including former England internationals Joe Cole and Kieran Richardson.

 Villa, who are unbeaten in the league and have won two of their three games, are expected to give Cleverley his debut in the game at Liverpool after the international break.

Lambert said: “Tom brings big-game experience to the club, he’s played international football for England and he still has great potential to kick on in his career.”

[Phil from the upper holte]

Certainly getting stuck in

[DrGonzo]

" The prospect of working under the manager and Roy, who were both fantastic midfielders in their playing careers, made the decision to come to Villa an easy one.”


  We've signed a comedy genius! 

[PeterWithe]

Hmmmm, I wonder what part of the agents conduct they were so pissed off about?

[Smirker]

" The prospect of working under the manager and Roy, who were both fantastic midfielders in their playing careers, made the decision to come to Villa an easy one.”


  We've signed a comedy genius!

 

[Russ aka Big Nose]

Watching this has made me think a bit differently about what we are getting

http://youtu.be/t3-esOVsEwk

Never had him down as the aggressive type.  Bit of Roy in there don't you think?

A highlights video can always be misleading, but the most impressive thing from those clips (for me) is the urgency he had to get the ball forward and go and join in again - especially when possession was turned over.

He's a good addition - lower risk as initially a loan - and we now have some decent depth and options. I feel more positive than for a good while.

[Villafirst]

The reason Tom has signed is simple: why languish in the lower reaches of the Premier League when you can join a top-three team?

[UK Redsox]

Do we really have to call him Top Cat?

Surely there's only one Top Cat allowed on H&V

Indisputable

[DeKuip]

After the usual disappointment of deadline day Im pleased to hear the headlines have gone from

VILLA DONE BY CLEVERLEY

To

CLEVERLY DONE BY VILLA