Aston Villa may hand Shay Given a £5m pay-off
Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given was today reportedly after a £5million pay-off to leave the club as manager Paul Lambert looks to a summer rebuild.
The goalkeeper has been frozen out at Villa Park and has not played a Premier League game since August.
He has three years left on his £60,000-a-week contract but will seek a lump sum to leave the club, as boss Lambert is holding talks with his squad this week.
Given signed a five-year deal when he joined Villa from Manchester City in 2011 but lost his place to Brad Guzan and made just two Premier League starts last term.
Getting the 37-year-old off the wage bill is key to Lambert's summer plans and he could also let Charles N'Zogbia go, with Monaco believed to be interested in the winger.
The Frenchman, a £9million signing from Wigan in 2011, is wanted by the ambitious French side, who won the second division title this season.
Richard Dunne will leave when his contract expires next month while Darren Bent and Stephen Ireland are expected to be allowed to go – for the right price.
Alan Hutton, who was loaned out to Real Mallorca this season, will also be allowed to leave.
Lambert was due to sit down with the squad this week for a post-season debrief and to discuss their futures.
Bent has two years left on his deal while Ireland's contract expires next season, with Villa keen to move them off the wage bill.
The club will not recoup the record £24million they paid for Bent but Premier League new-boys Cardiff are interested and Stoke were also keen before manager Tony Pulis' exit yesterday.
Bent has revealed his frustration over his lack of action and he made just 23 appearances, scoring six goals, under Lambert.
Charlie Austin, Luke Murphy and Aaron Cresswell are all believed to be Villa targets, with Lambert's young and hungry philosophy set to continue.
Ipswich left-back Cresswell was a target last summer before Lambert signed Joe Bennett, but the Villa boss remains keen on the 23-year-old ex-Tranmere ace.
And Portman Road chief Mick McCarthy is braced for bids after Cresswell's impressive season.
McCarthy said: "We looked at him with Wolves. He's been everything I could have hoped for and he will be attracting attention, because he's a good player."
