Villa boss makes first transfer moves
Monday 27th June 2011, 11:33AM BST.
Villa boss Alex McLeish has vowed to stamp his authority on the squad as he ponders his first move in the transfer market – but winger Stewart Downing is set for Liverpool.
The manager will not receive most of the £17million received as part of Ashley Young’s sale to Manchester United, as the club look to bring their wage bill under control.
But should Downing move to Merseyside, for a reported fee of £16million, McLeish would get a large portion of the fee to reinvest in the squad, with a goalkeeper and another wide player high on his list of priorities.
McLeish is keen to recruit goalkeeper Ben Foster from former club Birmingham, although they will not let him leave on the cheap, so West Ham’s Robert Green, who is keen on a move to Villa, remains an option.
Wigan winger Charles N’Zogbia is McLeish’s number one attacking target – having tried to lure him to the Midlands when he was in charge of Blues – while Stoke wide man Matthew Etherington was also linked with the club at the weekend.
One player unlikely to move to Villa is Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam, who is poised to join Liverpool, but McLeish is happy with the number of midfield options already at his disposal.
And the Villa boss is looking forward to the hard work on the training ground when his players report for pre-season on July 8.
He said: “I’ve got to impart my personality on the team – the spirit and the character.
“I can see that character in a lot of the guys that are already there. The seasoned pros should be the guys that are really leading the way. It’s vitally important that these guys help the young ones.
“I want my players to be straight up and honest and give everything they can for the football club and for themselves.”
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You couldn’t make this up could you? ….Oh sorry you have.
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i am not a bitter fan and support all the midland teams, even thoughh i would want wolves to win in a derby; but i feel sorry for the villa. . . by far the best team in the midlands having to go through this.
i hope that you guys come out of this fine and am sure you will. keep the fait in the manager. . . . but he has put the blues right in it!!!
young is a big loss – downing will really just make it very difficult to recover straight away, no mager in the world can turn that around. . .sorry to say.
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If Downing is allowed to leave it will be disastrous, he was by far our best player last season, but the club is showing its true colours, we will never be a ‘harrods’ type club but we arent even trying to be an ‘argos’ type club, its pure ‘poundland’ for us by the look of it!!
money meeds to be made available to show that we are not just about survival each season and not finishing around the top 8 (where i believe we should be)
very tough times down at villa park or so it appears!!
looks as if the folk who went to see take that will be the only ones leaving villa park with a smile on their faces!!!
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What is going on! Seems to me that we are Turing into a long ball team.
No class player in his right mind will come to us,ie Charlie Addams.
All can say is “fed up” I think most villa fans will say the same.
Steveo villa
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i can see villa going down unless bent starts banging them in from start.
Will miss young !!
if downing goes, kiss bye bye to being the biggest club in the midlands that will go to wolves and albion to fight over !
Doug Ellis dont seem to bad a fella now ay lol
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