January Transfer Window Rumours/Suggestions/Hearsay/Heresy/Horseplay

[themossman]

Not sure about this one he looks a bit overweight to me.

[Zouch Villa]

Christ. For a moment then I thought we'd signed Gerry Francis!

[themossman]

Wow that's uncanny!

[eamonn]

The way he is playing I bet he is more dangerous in the bloody bath than to the opposition goal. We've signed him 3 years too late, with a lack of pace in a team that has no creative edge. Just brilliant management decisions.

We've just recouped our money on Rudy. Maybe we finally have people in charge who can get top dollar for anyone we sell.

[kippaxvilla2]

Bruce to let Jedi leave to 'free up funds' according to Mirror.  Elphick could be off as well.  Westwood is being awarded a new four year contract.  Okay so I might have made that up.

[olaftab]

Spontaneous joy will burst out on HD threads if that news about our Ash was true. Please say you didn't make it up?

[Diablo]

Bruce to let Jedi leave to 'free up funds' according to Mirror.  Elphick could be off as well.  Westwood is being awarded a new four year contract.  Okay so I might have made that up.

Mirror article 5th Jan

Aston Villa are ready to take their season's spending past £75million in a bid to secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Boss Steve Bruce has been handed £25m to spend this month.


And his kitty will be further boosted by any money generated by player sales — starting with the £6m from top-flight Middlesbrough for striker Rudy Gestede, who completed his move to the Riverside on Wednesday.

Villa splashed out around £50m in the summer as new boss Roberto Di Matteo overhauled the squad relegated from the Premier League last season by bringing in nine players.


Alex Smithies of Championship rivals QPR is on Bruce's shopping list
But Di Matteo was sacked in October and now successor Bruce wants to bring in a keeper, a right-back, a left-winger and a striker.

Norwich full-back/winger Robbie Brady — who Bruce signed for Hull when he was manager there — and QPR goalie Alex Smithies are two of his targets.


Villa paid £12m for striker McCormack in August but Bruce would part with him (Photo: Aston Villa FC via Getty)
Summer signings Ross McCormack, Mile Jedinak and Tommy Elphick are among the men Bruce is open to moving on to make space for his signings.

Despite an upturn in form following Bruce’s appointment and their big summer of spending, Villa are still only 12th in the Championship.


Villa boss Bruce is targeting a repeat of last May's Wembley triumph with Hull (Photo: Getty)
They are a massive 17 points behind second-placed Newcastle in terms of automatic promotion but trail Sheffield Wednesday, who are in the final play-off spot, by just seven and targeting a push for a top six finish.

Promotion specialist Bruce took Hull up via the play-offs last season, and steered Birmingham City into the Premier League by that same route in 2002.

[ozzjim]

If we signed Rhodes I could see McCormack being gone by window end.  Too similar and there would be little point in having both.  We need someone that can play as a line forward and actually being others into the game. 

And that mirror sorry is utter garbage.  No way wold he let Jedinak go.  Elphick is our only real backup to the glass Baker too.

[Ian.]

It's bollocks, its plainly obvious we need centre midfielders and there is no mention of that. Bruce must know it too.

[Clampy]

The Mirror have and always will make most things up. It's easy nowadays. They can put a story up like that on their website, then take it down again a few hours later if they want.

[UK Redsox]

Not sure about this one he looks a bit overweight to me.

Word

[brian green]

Blimey Boswell it says here they are digging up the Lichfield Road again.

[stubbsyandy]

Blimey Boswell it says here they are digging up the Lichfield Road again.

Like it!

[in exile]

Bruce to let Jedi leave to 'free up funds' according to Mirror.  Elphick could be off as well.  Westwood is being awarded a new four year contract.  Okay so I might have made that up.

If we let Elphick go we have no real cover for Baker or Chester. Richards is out of the picture (permanently hopefully) and Toner is not up to the mark

[andyh]

Man U goalie confirmed