Blog: It's wait and see on Villa transfer front
Like most people, I've eagerly awaited the opening of the window with a view to see who could be the next incoming transfer to Villa.
That said, most of the focus for Villa fans has been on outgoing sales - mainly Ron Vlaar and Fabian Delph,
Whilst neither are guaranteed to be sold this month, most would suggest that they won't be signing new deals.
Vlaar, despite his role as captain, appears to be viewed as disposable - perhaps because of his injury record or maybe because he's potentially on his way out.
Football, as it happens, has a funny way of replicating late night scenes from a nightclub where the dream girl ends up being hated because they aren't interested.
There's a similar sentiment visible regarding Tom Cleverley. Yes, there could be an argument that joining Villa was only a stop gap given Everton reportedly weren't interested.
Yes, he might well end up at Everton anyway given Roberto Martinez had him on loan at Wigan. However, whatever happens, the reality is that if Villa may be better off spending the money elsewhere.
Which, if some outlets are led to be believed, means the money could be spent on Scott Sinclair.
Some seem to suggest that the £2.5m transfer could hit the rocks, much to apparent hilarity on social media.
"What have Villa become to be struggling to pay a couple of million" is a repeating trope, though reality is slightly more nuanced, with wages the more likely stumbling block.
Truth be told, Villa fans should be slightly reticent to be welcoming players from Manchester City given that wages in Eastlands are far from cheap.
Shay Given, Richard Dunne and Stephen Ireland all demanded payouts from City, as well as commanding comparatively expensive wages at Villa Park. Sinclair, one would imagine, would be similarly expensive.
Whether one agrees with the wage structure at Villa, few will state the club have money to burn, and Sinclair didn't prove to be great value during his time on loan at local rivals West Bromwich Albion.
Of course, it is easy to critique suggested signings, or to say who not to buy. For fans, we have little choice but to stand - with metaphorical faces pressed against the window - and wait to see what happens.
In January, most people are excited, and Villa fans may well have something to shout about when the transfer window does indeed close. However, for many, there may well be more of a concern on who is leaving this year than who is coming in.
You can follow Matt Turvey's regular opinions at his own site, www.astonvillalife.com, via the site's Twitter account @astonvillalife, or @mturvey_star.
