Onuoha & Ireland + £15m for Milner

[macmanson]

MAN CITY PURSUE JAMES MILNER
ABOVE: Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill wants to swap James Milner for two Man City players plus £15m

7th July 2010 By Tim Gray

MARTIN O’Neill is ready to strike a £30m deal with Manchester City for want-away James Milner.

The Villa boss accepts he is fighting a losing battle to keep Milner at Villa Park – but is ready to play hardball with City.

O’Neill is ready to do business and smash the record transfer sale at Villa, but only if City are willing to throw in Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha into the deal.

Villa value Milner at £30m and will want £15m cash plus the two City players who are surplus to requirements for Roberto Mancini.

City have tried to use the duo as part of a deal to tempt Everton to part with Mikel Arteta, but Villa boss O’Neill wants them to switch to Villa Park.

Onuoha’s future is ­virtually non-existent now that City have signed ­German ­international ­Jerome Boateng, while ­Villa are desperate to sign a right-back with Luke Young and Habib Beye both set to leave the club.

But O’Neill faces stiff competition from ­Sunderland to land former England ­Under-21 star ­Onuoha.

While the Villa boss has already ­rejected two bids in excess of £20m for Milner, he realises he is swimming against the tide.

Milner appears to have set his heart on a move to City, having being promised a contract which would more than double his £45,000-a-week deal at Villa Park.

But Ireland, who is valued at £9m, would be a welcome addition to the Villa midfield, which is crying out for an attacking ­influence from central areas.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/143263/Man-City-set-to-land-James-Milner/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/vie ... es-Milner/</a>

Just more journo talk, but what do people think of this proposed deal? I don't get why we would still be pursuing Milner now that we have Barry, Yaya and De Jong in those roles and he certianly shouldn't be worth £30m or £15m plus 2 players to us. Players like Ireland, like him or not, are worth more than £9m simply because of the Europa league rules about having players in your squad who you have trained yourself.

I'd rather see us pursue some top level full backs instead of spending that kinda money on a player who's only had 1 strong year from an offensive point of view.

 

[AC1DK1LLA]

I think this is a great deal for us and for them. I like Ireland but think it would be unfair to watch him on the bench so let him go Villa. I'm not Onuohas biggest fan but with the homegrown player rule maybe we should keep him even if he is shit.

 

[MCFCinUSA]

the pair of them plus £15m seems pretty steep - but fortunately we don't have to worry about money these days, so... so what? - & why not spread the love around? ehehe

(I'll be sad to see either of these two leaving us, but if our management sanctions this then so be it)

 

[LYNX]

Onuoha + 20M.

 

[milestone]

I think this is a great deal for us and for them. I like Ireland but think it would be unfair to watch him on the bench so let him go Villa. I'm not Onuohas biggest fan but with the homegrown player rule maybe we should keep him even if he is shit.

great deal?? This is crazy deal.

 

[zinaldo1982]

For a rubbish i can only cross or run around like a mad man milner i wouldn't even pay more than 12m pounds for him he is pants and he is a young gerrard without the pace,the technical ability and the imagination,yes he can strike a ball from time to time but i am sure i could do to if i trained as often as he does.

I would keep both richards and micah and give them wayne under the bridge and ireland + 12m pounds,we cannot assume that boateng and co are going to be able to cut it here and for all we know boby mancini could out of the job by december so richards and onuoha stay until then because your fortunes could soon change.

 

[BlakeTheBlue]

Ireland in a straight swap would be fair as i think they are pretty much at the same level. Both had one great season and the rest has been potential. But Milners great year was last season wheras Stevies was the season previous. Therefore We will pay through the arse for a player similar to one we already have.

On the basis of recent form Ireland + £5m would be fair. Ireland and Ned + £5M is MORE than fair. So the proposed Ireland and Ned + £15M for Milner is bollocks of the highest order and we should tell them to smoke monkey pole.

 

[Ricktee76]

hire a head shrink and sort Stevie out....many levels better than Milner when he's on song. and it would be a lot cheaper.

 

[christened at st marks]

I've never been impressed with Milner get the feeling the rest of the premiership are pissing themselves laughing at this one hope most of us are proved wrong

 

[BringBackSwales]

I think this is a great deal for us and for them. I like Ireland but think it would be unfair to watch him on the bench so let him go Villa. I'm not Onuohas biggest fan but with the homegrown player rule maybe we should keep him even if he is shit.

Do you watch City? On what basis is Nedum Onouha "shit"? The second half of the season before last he played regularly and he was outstanding, last season unfortunately he did not get much of a look in due to the expensive signing of Kolo Toure; he is a decent footballer, and a decent lad, and he is not "shit"