VILLA OFFER ALBION ULTIMATUM
Villa boss John Gregory insisted he will not be held to ransom by their West Midlands neighbours who sold him to Villa nine years ago for £50,000 but a clause in his contract stipulated that Albion would receive half of any future transfer over £200,000.
Previously, Villa have only offered the Black Country outfit a maximum of £250,000 to buy out the clause, but with the player categorically insisting that he wants to leave last year`s FA Cup finalists - they have decided to increase this offer.
"It's a simple equation: Albion can get some money for Ugo now or finish up empty handed in a couple of years when he gets a Bosman free transfer," Gregory said.
"We are quite prepared to let Ugo run down his contract. He has been with us for nine years and has given Villa value for money - so we would have no qualms about him going on a free."
Ehiogu has been the subject of £6 million offers from Manchester City and Sunderland, but Gregory has refused to allow his colossal defender to discuss a move saying the bid is nowhere near his valuation of the player.
If Albion accept the offer one would expect that Villa`s asking price would come down and with City stating they are prepared to up their offer, Ehiogu may at last get the move he desires before the start of the new season.
Meanwhile, The Villans' other transfer-listed defender Gareth Southgate has suggested that the Villa Park hierarchy have not encouraged any potential suitors.
Gregory has said there have been no offers for the England defender, who along with Ehiogu and Julian Joachim was booed during Villa`s InterToto Cup victory over Dukla Pribram on Saturday, but Southgate insists there is interest in him.
"It all seems a bit messy at the moment. I know there have been telephone calls to the club about me, but I don't know whether Villa are encouraging other clubs to make offers," Southgate saidin the News of the World newspaper.
"I don't expect Villa to bend over backwards to help me. Yet I'd have thought it was in everyone's interest to get everything sorted out before the season starts.
"Ideally, I would like to join a new club and be settled before pre-season training is over. I would guess Villa would want their line-up in place in time for the Premiership campaign.
"They have told me they are only prepared to listen to written offers and, if the right bid comes in, I can go. That's fair. I just hope they will be honest enough to tell me if they receive any."
Despite his unsettled status, the experienced defender remains the Villa skipper and he is happy to continue in this role as long as he stays at the club.
"The manager has asked me to keep the job," Southgate added. "That's his decision and I'll go along with it."
