Villa - Milner wants out

O'Neill prepared to cash in on winger if the price is right

Last updated: 22nd July 2010  

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Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has revealed that he is prepared to sell James Milner, if the price is right.

The England international has been the subject of interest from Manchester City this summer, with the Blues having already seen one bid knocked back.

They made their move prior to the World Cup finals, hoping they could put a deal in place before the player turned his attention to events in South Africa.

Villa made it clear on that occasion that the fee involved fell some way short of their valuation and Milner headed off for international duty with his future hanging in the balance.

City, though, have refused to back down and continue to monitor the situation closely.

Milner has made it clear that he would welcome the opportunity to complete a switch to Eastlands, with Villa's latest offer of a new deal turned down point blank.

Contract

That contract would have made him the highest paid player in the club's history, but money is no longer an issue.

Villa have now been forced to begrudgingly accept that Milner is looking to move on and they are bracing themselves for a second bid from City.

O'Neill will hold out for the best possible price for one of his prized assets, but has revealed that he could be ready to cash in.

"I had a conversation with James before the World Cup and he intimated that he'd like to go," said the Villa boss.

"City made an offer but it did not meet our valuation. I'm sure matters will be resolved soon. James is back next week having had an extended holiday.

"There is a difference of valuation at this moment between the buying club and the selling club.

"That may well be resolved and if that is the case then absolutely fine.

"I think James' agent has told our chief executive that he wouldn't be signing a new contract.

"Obviously that puts a different slant on things, like everything else.

"If a fee is agreed, at the end of the day, the player can leave."

It is believed that an offer of around £30million would be enough for Villa to back down.

Bringing in such a sizeable fee would also allow O'Neill to pump some of that cash back into his squad, with a replacement for Milner set to top his shopping list.

Milner, who became the youngest Premier League goalscorer when he netted for Leeds against Sunderland nine days before his 17th birthday, cost Villa a reported £12million from Newcastle in 2008.

Comments (109)

Tom Lawlor says...

Is Milner really worth 25, to 30m? I don''t think so! It''s okay saying Milner had a good World Cup and a great last season and so on, but then again so did Ireland 2 seasons ago! Look at him now, back to the average player he really is! If I was Mancini, I''d think about what I was spending money on before I did so. And that''s coming from a die hard Man City fan for 16 years, and seaon ticket holder for 13!

Posted 00:52 25th July 2010

Jack Adams (Aston Villa fan) says...

Milner can go if he really wants to, he is a good midfielder although he is better on the wing!! Good luck at Man City, because you will need it to even get a game, with about a dozen other midfielders at the club. If he no longer wants to play for Villa, he should go as he will not play well if he is made to stay, just look at Gareth Barry in his last season at Villa when he was stopped from joining Liverpool and finally joined Man city for ¿5 million less the next summer.

Posted 23:45 24th July 2010

Danny Evans (Manchester City fan) says...

I personally dont want to see James Milner in a City Shirt this coming season. With the players that Mancini has brought in and also ones that were already there such as Stevie Ireland, i cant see him holding down a place in the starting XI. I agree with what richard dunne said, he may aswell just stay at Villa and play regular first team football instead of a bit part at city. oh and one more thing, £30 Million?? are u avin a laugh martin??? please hes worth £14 million at the most!!

Posted 07:15 23rd July 2010

David Jones (Liverpool fan) says...

These foreign owners and managers are destroying our football and if this goes on, it will affect our England team. Everything is money , buy fame and glory. Foreign players restrictions should apply now. Milner for £30 or £35m, make me laugh, and players like David Villa £34m, Alonso £22m, etc.... All these over-rated English players are running after money and fame, their performance at the World cup was an example. How these players who change teams like underwear, could say one day, this or that club they love or close to their heart. A big bad example is Anelka...at least you stay at a club 10 yrs or more... They should learn from players like Rush, Dalglish,etc.etc, Giggs, Scholes etc.etc..and so many. They would be always remembered as LEGEND. English clubs have always done well in Europe before with most british players, ex.. Liverpool, ManU, etcc. Why we should we get foreign players to do the job. Give our British grown footballer a chance please. Stop putting a high tag price on British players, who are not that good enough, and this makes managers to buy better foreign players cheaper. Lets the british players concentrate in football than money...

Posted 03:04 23rd July 2010

Lebohang Kolobetso (Arsenal fan) says...

to Bob Bobbers - since when is football just a job? Its the most popular sport over five continents. since when do normal jobs' employees get paid 30,000 to 120,000 £ a week?? since when are they watched on tv every saturday? most importantly which normal job has fans?? when you play for a football club, you don't just play for money. you aren't just property of the club, you are property of the fans, this is why we talk of this "loyalty". of course only a true footballing fan and club supporter would understand this, not a gloryhunter who supports whoever is at the top of the table.

Posted 02:07 23rd July 2010

Eric-martial Reonigneaud says...

The Milner case is truly symptomatic of what's going wrong in England's situation. We've got a player over-priced, perhaps not over-rated, with little football culture-having only played in his country with struggling clubs, and who is going to be fitted in a City squad whose board mentality overlooks promoting home-grown talented players, and despite boasting to have their own academy! The problem is O'Neil will splash the cash to buy talent to replace Milner at Villa, doing the same as City is doing in regards of young blood. There it is, the vicious cycle gets working. Cantona, Ferguson, Platini, even Sepp Blater, Mc Laren, Eriksson, Capello, Sam Allardice, Harry Redknapp, Arsene Wenger have warned of the cataclysmical fate of Club England. If the very judgemental national press and the pundits can see it, why can't the FA? What can Capello do? It's not Capello though, rather the FA who should have done the decent thing by paying him off, mark my words. The FA is blind and deaf. Can one hear the sound of the crash when we reach the finals of the 2012 Euro cup?

Posted 01:18 23rd July 2010

Mike Bishop (Aston Villa fan) says...

Poor misguided Milner...this is where some of the top Prem clubs are not good for the the National Side. He is developing into a solid player, now he will sit on the bench behind some foreign player ( see Joe Cole at Chelsea). As a Villa fan I hate in any way to be perceived as a feeder club. I feel we have much more to offer than most. We need to even the playing field in some way, either by controlling the amount of foreigners that play or creating a "salary cap". The top four clubs would probably be successful anyway. Man City is new to "the money game", but would still be in the top ten. I would enjoy the day when at the start of the season that Wigan, Sunderland, or even, god forbid" Bham City, start the season thinking they have a legitimate chance of winning the Prem. No James, you sold out for money...greed...you forgot about the Football....thats that game that you are now going to watch and not play!!!!

Posted 01:08 23rd July 2010

Taufiq Harris (Aston Villa fan) says...

... Well, at least we'll be keeping Heskey! Bless his cotton socks :) For some reason, I'm sure Milner said Villa was his favourite club once upon a time. And when you are on a shed load of money where you probably won't have to worry for the rest of your life if you were to retire tomorrow, I wonder ... really, why are you leaving? Ah well, don't worry lads, keep faith in Heskeroonie!!!

Posted 00:53 23rd July 2010

Micael Caine (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

After seeing Barry and Milner in the WC. I say sell them for what you can.Could never imagine Wenger or Jose ever buying players of that level. Villa fans, look forward, get better players than that, you deserve it.

Posted 00:00 23rd July 2010

Carol T (Aston Villa fan) says...

Milner can go with a fanfare for all I care! 25-30 million plus Ireland at least and we got the best deal. No player bigger than a club and as as been said that his England career down the drain but he isnt the first or the last to go to Citeh for money which has been proved. Barry wanted champions leaque so he went to Citeh and ahem they finished where? 1 point above us and in Europa with us lol. Milner well where are they going to play him as the team is bursting at the seams as it is and you can still only play 11players on the pitch at any given time. Citeh are buying for the sake of buying and I havent seen any top class at Citeh. The real top class turned them down. Citeh will always walk in United shadow and there only 1 Jose.x. Btw Young has pledged his future to Villa as he said he owes it all to MON. Rare to see these days loyalty so stop the drama's some of you Villa fans. The future bright and still claret and blue.x. Karma will prevail on Citeh again and they'l still be crying at the end of next season as Mancini has yet to adapt to the English game and if he is like Rafa he wont. Mancini bottles it like Rafa. Too many draws and would rather play safe and get a draw. Look back at last season and you will see so unless he learns quickly that wont work here the Citeh fans will still be crying and Mancini will be collecting his P45 next season. The Citeh Utd match where Utd won 3-2 is proof of that. Its was no fluke that Utd scored late on as they go for safety not the win and it cost Citeh last season in many matches. Its Mancini style and he'l have to change it of he'l be out with the money he's spent

Posted 22:54 22nd July 2010

.... ..... (Aston Villa fan) says...

Sure he didnt play well at world cup but did play well last season but there is better out ther if i got more than 16million i would let him go. Well done martin you must of got 24million.

Posted 22:52 22nd July 2010

Kevin Teece (Liverpool fan) says...

I rate Milner as a player and think that he will go on to have an excellent England career.Man City have paid over the odds for every player because all the other clubs know that they are trying to buy quick success.Yes they have brought through many youngsters in recent times but they'll be cast aside now.What will be interesting is that clubs can only name 25 players in their squads this season so surely there is going to be a lot of unrest at City before the season starts.Maybe there will be some good pickings from City with the like of Ireland,Onuoha, Richards,Hart and Johnson becoming available. Aren't they all those youngsters City fans are going on about.

Posted 22:06 22nd July 2010

David Edwards (Aston Villa fan) says...

I can not believe City will pay £30million for Milner, did they watch the world cup! What I saw was a bunch of money grasping individuals ego's roaming around a football field that did not wan't to be there. So Milner should fit in perfectly at CITY. For all the money City spent last year Villa had a better season. City are Doctor evil of football, the only reason I can think why they would pay £30mill for milner is for tactical reasons, this is a club that has the financial clout to by players to weaken the squads of other teams. I am rapidly loosing intrest in football, what has become of the baeutiful game?

Posted 22:02 22nd July 2010

James Lutaya (Arsenal fan) says...

Is Milner worth £30m???! Really? Wouldn't that make him one of the most expensive players in the world? But £30m is about Kaka's valuation right now and although he's off form I'd take an off form Kaka or even an ageing Ronaldinho over Milner. £30m??? That would put him up there with Xavi & Iniesta? And we wonder why we always underachieve in tournaments? It's because were naive enough to think we're favourites and overprice our own talent, that's the reason why none of our stars play abroad and the reason why English talent gets waisted (because young foreigners are cheaper and hence more likely to get Prem football)...£30m??? What a joke.

Posted 21:56 22nd July 2010

Andy Singh (Charlton Athletic fan) says...

Everyone is talking about how this and that player are going to be seat warmers on the bench but if you got given a huge pay rise, would you not leave? The passion and pride in football is slowly dying - guess we have to get used to it.

Posted 21:54 22nd July 2010

Nathan Williams (Aston Villa fan) says...

A years gone by and its Deja Vu again. Another Villa players head has been turned by greed. If you have any sense Milner stay at Villa, at least you wont be a bench warmer.

Posted 21:49 22nd July 2010

James Stevens (Liverpool fan) says...

Here we go again from Martin O'Neil last year it was all about Barry and Liverpool now its Milner. I'm glad we did not get Barry as he is overated and will struggle to get a place in MC this year. Also James Milner is also overated and I can see both Barry and Milner spending a lot of time talking to each other on the bench. Also MC will not do as good as everyone thinks. You need a team not a bunch of divas.

Posted 21:43 22nd July 2010

Rick Patel (Manchester United fan) says...

To be fair milner has only one stand-out premier league season so far in his career and poor world-cup show. Ok he is a good player but not world-class. villa should be happy if someone wants to pay 30 million plus for him. Let him go to the city and fight for first team football which is guaranteed at villa. Villa should use the money to buy 2 or 3 quality players which they need badly as they lack strenght in depth.

Posted 21:34 22nd July 2010

Leigh Harris (West Bromwich Albion fan) says...

Look, Millner has been a phenominal player for the Villa and if there is £30 million on the table then grab it and run! There's too much competition at Man City for James Millner to get regular first team football and it would just mean that his reputation just fades away into the money of Man City (just like Barry's) I dearly hope that Millner stays with the Villa making the correct decision and not going chasing after the big bucks!

Posted 21:07 22nd July 2010

Andy Coates (Aston Villa fan) says...

Milner unfortunately is the same as Barry, he's just money grabbing, in one respect fair play but he should have given us another season. City are now on their way to being hated by a fair amount of fans. In a couple of years they will start to beat Utd on this front but this will be the only thing!! City will just keep sacking the manager when it doesn't go their way.

Posted 21:06 22nd July 2010

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