Aston Villa - linked to 111 transfer targets!! Official!
It is a strange thing about transfer rumours. Maybe the soccer ciogaroos are so respectful of the occasion of Euro 2008, that, like a funeral, all activity must be postponed until after the event. We are in mourning for the season that has gone. We are in mourning for the team that might have been - England at the Euro 2008, for example spanking those awful lucky Germans.There has as a result been a lot more talk than action. Or if action there has been, then it has been in secret, except where Critian Ronaldo is concerned. Ronaldo is probably not going to Aston Villa, although Martin O’Neill has been linked to everyone else with two feet and a pair of Nike laces. The extremely encouraging team he had last season has already lost the rock that is Olof Melberg and is expected to also see the departure of the energetic captain Gareth Barry being courted by a slobering-at-the-chops Liverpoool as Steven Gerrard’s best new mate. As everyone knows O’Neill is no slouch in terms of spotting talent. He learned from the past masters Brian Clough and Peter Taylor when he played for them at Nottingham Forest, so who he buys will be doubly interesting. So interesting in fact the the club’s website currently lists 111 players that are being linked to Aston Villa, which must be sort of a record or else the boys on the Birmingham Post have been popping acid all afternoon and playing fantasy football. O’Neill of course has been entrenched in Vienna with the BBC so the cheque book probably won’t come out until next week. And how much can he force Liverpool to pay for Barry. If Luka Modric was £16million, that would seem a good benchmark
Aston Villa are 200/1 to win the league and their expected position is seventh. but without reinforcements for Barry and Melberg they won’t do that. Also players at this level are expensive for what they are - either untried, or young and developing or over priced and other managers are not going to do them the kind of favours that rumour says could bring Jimmy Bullard from Fulham. Not over Roy Hodgson’s dead and relegated body one suspects.
Aston Villa open the season facing a new look Manchester City under Mark Hughes on August 16. It could be an interesting game.
