James Milner’s transfer trail took a new turn today amid reports of Tottenham joining the race for the player who has returned to training at Villa.

The 24-year-old England international was due back at Bodymoor Heath, after his extended holiday following World Cup duty.

Milner is set for a frosty reception from manager Martin O’Neill, who has not taken kindly to the player’s complaints about the Villa boss’ comments last week on the saga.

O’Neill claimed that Milner told him before the World Cup that he wanted to leave – a version of events which the player disputes.

The two men will thrash out their differences against a background of rampant speculation about what will happen next in another summer of transfer activity at Villa.

Milner is wanted by Manchester City who have offered £20million and been refused a deal by O’Neill.

Villa value the player at £30million and have so far refused to budge, but the claims that Spurs are now also in the market for the player will serve their purposes.

The measure of Milner’s relationship with O’Neill will be gauged by whether the player joins the squad on their pre-season trip to Portugal this week, but it’s turning into another tough summer for the manager and O’Neill.

The Villa boss has effectively admitted it is getting harder and harder for him to reach the target – Champions League football – he established with Randy Lerner when they came to the club together four years ago.

He said: “Just when you think your team is getting there, getting close to fourth spot, Manchester City appear on the horizon with all this money. It seems to be getting further away.

“Well done Spurs for getting into the Champions League but up until their second last game, they could have finished anywhere from fourth to seventh.

“Top four remains a possibility but to win the title, you need to have the squad.

“City will have 28 or 29 top-class players available.”

But faith in O’Neill remains high, with defender Richard Dunne the latest to vocally back the manager.

He said: “There’s one boss at this football club and we believe we’ve got one of the best managers in the league and, regardless of players, the manager is the most important man at the football club.

“It won’t affect us adversely, players leave and sign all the time.”