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James Milner has completed his move to Manchester City, with midfielder Stephen Ireland going to Villa Park.
As we've followed James Milner's disjointed journey to Aston Villa, we've kept up with 7500 to Holte, SB Nation's Aston Villa blog. Now that Milner's move is official, Kirsten Schelwitz can say her goodbyes:
As for James Milner, well, I wish him the best. He was caught up in a lot of crap over the past couple months, but he just put his head down and did his job. I'm not gonna lie--it's going to hurt to see him in a City shirt. But for the sake of England, I hope the team doesn't keep him on the bench.
For the entire post, visit 7500 to Holte and read James Milner to Manchester City; Stephen Ireland to Aston Villa: Done and Dusted.
James Milner's transfer to Manchester City has finally been completed, with the England international moving to Eastlands for a cash-plus-player deal valued at £26 million.
The transfer ends a saga that starting in May when Manchester City submitted its original bid for Milner. Milner subsequently expressed his desire to move to City, a wish that came to fruition on Wednesday.
Milner had gone to Manchester on Tuesday to undergo a physical and finalize his new contract. The midfielder signed a five-year deal to complete City's part of the transfer, with Aston Villa's part finalized with Stephen Ireland's four-year deal at Villa Park.
Milner is the reigning Professional Footballers Association Young Player of the Year. The 24-year-old joins his fourth club, having started his career for hometown Leeds United before moving to Newcastle, then joining Aston Villa.
At Villa Park, Milner appeared in 73 league matches, recording 11 goals. For England, Milner been capped 12 times and was selected to this summer's World Cup squad.
Stephen Ireland, seven months younger than Milner, fills a hole in Villa's in central midfield, providing a missing attacking presence. After debuting for City in 2005, Ireland made 138 league appearances, scoring 23 times and earning the club's Player of the Year honor in 2008-09.
In 2009-10, Ireland appeared only 22 times (having appeared 35 times the prior season), having lost his place in the team after Roberto Mancini replaced Mark Hughes.
SB Nation's Aston Villa blog has had to ride the roller coaster of the James Milner saga since it's early-summer early-days. As the story mercifully meets a conclusion, 7500 to Holte's Kirsten Schlewitz is still conflicted:
What needs to be said has been said over and over. Villa is getting £18M. And a midfielder. We're getting the better end of the bargain.
Supposedly.
But yesterday's news of a 24-hour ultimatum gave me hope. I thought maybe, just maybe, it gave City an out, a way to save face. With 54,821 players on their roster, they certainly don't need another clogging the bench. It appears, however, that City are finding a way to finish the deal.
That is does, melancholy Villan.
For more from a Villa fan's perspective, you can read Kirsten's thoughts in James Milner To Manchester City: Just Sign On The Dotted Line or visit SB Nation's Aston Villa blog: 7500 to Holte.
Aston VIlla midfielder James Milner has given Manchester City until Wednesday to conclude their pursuit of the England international, according to reports. According to reports out of England, if the Citizens can not come to an agreement with Villa by then, Milner is prepared to stay at Villa Park for the season.
Milner has been the subject of a summer-long saga, having told former manager Martin O'Neill that he would like to leave the Birmingham Club. City has not been able to meet Aston Villa's evaluation, originally said to be £30 million, though a deal was said to be in place last week that would take the former Newcastle-man to Eastlands for £26.5 million and midfielder Stephen Ireland. That move reportedly stalled over Ireland's request for compensation for the move.
Milner played this weekend in Aston VIlla's Premier League opener, scoring the third goal of Villa's 3-0 win over West Ham United.
Aston Villa is set to flight to Austria on Wednesday in anticipation of their Thursday, Europa League playoff against Rapid Vienna.
For the second time in three years, Aston Villa fans have been put through a summer-long saga surrounding the transfer of one of its midfielders. While James Milner looks destined to join Gareth Barry at Eastlands, Kirsten Schlewitz at SB Nation's Aston Villa blog (7500 to Holte) has mixed emotions. While the drama surrounding Milner needs to end, Stephen Ireland fails to inspire:
Anyone else feel like throwing up a white flag and screaming END! END! ?
As of right now, nearly 3pm PT, 11PM GMT, the offer appears to be a £27.5M package for Milner. That package apparently includes Stephen Ireland.
While it seems evident that most Villa fans are excited about the idea about Ireland coming to Villa Park, for the most part, I just shrug.
For more on Aston Villa and the James Milner story, you can visit 7500 to Holte or read James Milner And The Never Ending Transfer Saga.
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has confirmed that midfielder James Milner, linked with a move to Manchester City throughout the summer, is close to leaving Villa Park.
O'Neill had previously said Milner would be allowed to leave for Eastlands should Villa's evaluation, thought to be £30 million, be met. City had previously offered £20 million for the England international but has since added attacking midfielder Stephen Ireland to a revised package.
The clubs were close enough to a deal to justify O'Neill pulling Milner from his Friday team that played Valencia.
“We didn’t play him against Valencia because there could be something happening in terms of the transfer over the weekend or Monday or Tuesday,” O’Neill said.
“Until that possibly develops I thought it best to leave him out of the Valencia game. To my knowledge no fee has been agreed but talks are taking place involving our chief executive and the chairman.
“I think for everyone’s benefit it is probably time to try and get something done.”
Manchester City is also thought to be close to completing its deal for Internazionale forward Mario Balotelli in a deal expected to top £25 million.
Thought his future with the club is still up-in-the-air, Aston Villa midfielder James Milner will continue training with the club and accompany Martin O'Neill's men to Portugal for the Guadiana Cup:
A club statement read: "James Milner trained with the rest of the Villa squad today at Bodymoor Heath. He and the manager, along with chief executive Paul Faulkner and the player's representative, Matthew Buck, had an amicable conversation and, while James will not play in tomorrow's game at Walsall, he will fly with the squad to Portugal on Wednesday ahead of the Guadiana Cup in which Villa will compete with Benfica and Feyenoord this weekend."
Aston Villa are due to face Portugal's Benfica and the Netherlands' Feyenoord in the preseason tournament that starts July 30.
Milner had previously expressed his desire to move from Villa Park, with O'Neill set to accomodate him should Manchester City improve upon their initial offer. The Citizens offered £20 million, £10 million short of O'Neill's reported evaluation.
City is said to be lining-up a new, £24 million offer.
As can be expected when one of your club's players expresses a desire to leave, Aston Villa supporter Kirsten Schlewitz at 7500 to Holte expresses a healthy amount of incredulity:
Oh Jamesy boy, you had a chance to be a Villa hero. Don't you remember what happened with Gareth Barry? His head got too big for his cheekbones, he demanded a move and now he is vilified by Villans. And what happened? He went to Manchester City and had a not-so-shiny season. James, do you even know how many midfielders City have on their books? Do you honestly think you'll play every week?
Kirsten also tells Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini why he shouldn't be surprised clubs are asking a little more in transfer fees when the Citizens come asking:
Well, Mancini, if you didn't open up your pocketbooks and flash your stacks of hundred pound notes, we might not be driving up the price. Cough up a few more bucks for Milner and you can have him. At this point, I think many of us are happy to see him go. We all saw what happened with Barry when he wasn't able to leave City. We don't need another player unhappy with the situation in our starting lineup. You give us the cash, City, and we'll figure out how to use it. Then we'll laugh when we see you with a squad of 30 prima donnas who still can't work together to score a goal. Truth be told, I may even laugh when I see Milner on the bench.
For the entire post (Say Goodbye To James Milner) as well as more thoughts on Milner and Villa, you can visit SB Nation's Aston Villa blog, 7500 To Holte.
Martin O'Neill expects midfielder James Milner to be sold soon, the Aston Villa manager confirmed today.
Milner, who just completed his second season at Villa Park, told O'Neill at the beginning of the offseason that he would like to move:
"There is a question mark over James Milner," O'Neill said. "I had a conversation with James before the World Cup and he intimated that he would like to go at that time.
"I haven't spoken to him since. I know there have been conversations with his agent and our chief executive. Manchester City have made an offer for the player but certainly there is a difference in valuation, but I'm sure things will get resolved."
Manchester City's first offer for Milner was rejected earlier this offseason, with a bid of £20 million said to be £10 million pounds short of Martin O'Neill's desired price. Even if Aston Villa and Manchester City meet somewhere short of O'Neill's £30 million price tag, the return would represent a coup for a player bought a relatively short time ago and for a much lower price.
Milner was acquired two summers ago from Newcastle United for £12 million, since becoming a regular in the England national team. In that time Milner has developed from a traditional right winger into a midfielder who can play across the width of the field. The 24-year-old has two years left on a four-year contract signed when he moved from St. James' Park, where he played after his 2004 move from Leeds United.
At this summer's World Cup, Milner started three of England's four matches, providing the assist on Jermain Defoe's goal that defeated Slovenia, 1-0, allowing England to advance out of Group C. Since making his senior team debut last year, Milner has been capped 11 times by the Three Lions.
With his requested move, Milner looks to follow the path of fellow England international Gareth Barry, who joined Manchester City from Aston Villa last year. Barry had been the subject of a prolonged transfer saga which linked him to Liverpool during the summer of 2008. After losing his captaincy at Villa Park and playing-out the season for Martin O'Neill, Barry was surprisingly transferred to Manchester City.
Now City looks to add another Villan, increasing their summer haul that already includes former Valencia winger David Silva, defender Jerome Boateng from Hamburg, and manager Roberto Mancini's latest signing, defensive midfielder Yaya Touré, formerly of Barcelona. The Citizens have also agreed to a fee for Lazio's Aleksander Kolarov, with the left back's transfer awaiting finalization of personal terms. In addition, Manchester City has been linked with a move for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.
For Martin O'Neill, the move would leave his team thin in central midfield, where Milner was most often deployed after Stewart Downing's mid-season return from injury. Currently, Aston Villa has captain Stiliyan Petrov, Nigel Reo-Coker returning from injury, as well as promising youngster Fabian Delph, purchased from Leeds United last season. Delph, however, continues to recover from a cruciate ligament injury which will keep him out until late 2010.
Steve Sidwell also received time last season, though the 27-year-old has been linked away from Villa Park in search of a larger role than he's been afforded under O'Neill.
Bitter And Blue: Usage Key To Stephen Ireland's Success At Aston Villa
Bitter and Blue, SB Nation's Manchester City blog, has its own view on the Milner-for-Ireland swap. Yesterday the site's manager, Danny Pugsley, talked about Milner. Today, he looked at what Stephen Ireland could mean to Villa:
For more, you can read Danny's piece at Bitter and Blue: Milner deal confirmed, fresh start for Ireland.
Aug 18 3:13p by Richard Farley - 0 comments