Manager Martin O’Neill believes Steve Sidwell has “the right quality to take Aston Villa forward” after agreeing a deal in the region of £5m for the Chelsea midfielder.
Sidwell will formally become a Villa player once he has passed a medical, before flying out to join the squad for their pre-season tour of Switzerland.
The Villa boss is stepping up the recruitment campaign. He knows he must complete this summer by formally opening the bidding for Blackburn’s David Bentley at the £11m mark.
Sidwell is his first breakthrough in a close season being monitored anxiously by Villa fans, wanting to see the club make major strides.
After a redundant year at Chelsea, the 25-year-old will be looking to rebuild his career under a manager who specialises in just that.
O’Neill said: “Steve actually played for Reading in my first match at Villa Park. You always take note of players who do well against you and he stuck in my mind.
“I was less happy to see him do well again when we played at Reading that same season. He scored the second goal against us that day.
“But, again, the quality of his performance stayed with me.
“It was shortly after that he earned his move to Chelsea. For whatever reason, it did not work out for him at Stamford Bridge.
“He is of the right age and the right quality to take Aston Villa forward. He remains hungry to do well and to prove himself.
“I’m delighted to have him with us.”
The former Arsenal trainee, who also attracted interest from Manchester City, had limited opportunities under Jose Mourinho and then Avram Grant as Chelsea missed Premier League and Champions League glory.
His arrival at Villa will offset some of the disappointment surrounding the club, regarding the expected departure of Gareth Barry to Liverpool.
Sidwell was part of the Arsenal side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 and 2001 and went on to play a big role in Reading’s promotion to the top flight.
2 Comments
I’m sure if Steve settles in quickly and puts in a few good performances, the Gareth Barry episode will soon take a back seat and will eventually be forgotten…..well almost, however I do hope that future signings will be of equal or better quality. I do not mean to be rude to Steve and I am not questioning his ability or commitment, but the fact is we need top quality players if we are to compete with the so called top four. Championships and European cups may be a bridge too far at the moment, but oh what I’d give for an FA cup and an automatic European spot. I was there in 1957 (FA Cup) and again in 1961 (League Cup)and I cant begin to tell you how that felt, back then we were a force to be reckoned with and its about time we were again.
WHY IS THIS SIGNING TAKING SO LONG