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I know full well Villa's financial position. The fact is, our wage bill is ridiculously inflated by fringe or unnecessary players: Heskey's on 60k, Ireland on something similar, Beye on something like 40k, Warnock the same, Petrov on 50k, Pires 40k, Carew on 50k, the list goes on. Houllier was brought in to trim the wage bill, and that's exactly what he's been doing with the likes of Sidwell, but he hasn't finished yet. Villa's wage bill will be falling rapidly, you can bet your house on that. Lerner still wants to challenge, he just wants to get the house in order first, and rightly too. Expect an exodus this summer from Villa, and expect a new batch in on much lower wages. A third is easily attainable if you consider that lot leaving, plus the likes of Reo-Coker and Young who are good players but won't be staying with us.
More to the point, Lerner's not stupid. He knows he can't challenge for Europe without retaining good players, and Downing's our best. We're not going to sell him off without a fight. We're not poor, we don't need the money, and as Downing's on roughly the same amount of money as Habib ****** Beye I doubt his wages are out of proportion to what he offers to the team. We did this with Milner, and we'll do it again with Downing if needs must.
They'll give us a ridiculous price, too! Everyone's happy!
Apart from maybe Young, but nobody cares about him.
Pirlo would have stayed, Milan didn't want him anymore.
Milan wanted him to sign a contract with paycut. He didn't agree. For the level of performance he was producing, he should have taken the paycut..
Becomes only the 7th player to play for Inter, AC and Juve. Previous were - Giuseppe Meazza, Roberto Baggio, Christian Vieri, Edgar Davids Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Those are some serious players.
Berlusconi gives green light for Hamsik pursuit.
Milan and Hamsik: Berlusconi is the first step « Rossoneri Blog – AC Milan News
Milan and Hamsik: Berlusconi is the first step « Rossoneri Blog – AC Milan News
For real?! he would surely cost a bomb, whats his release clause?
around 20m-30m although the source thats been promoting this is Goal.com so I would not take this to be more than a rumour atm
If you can shift the players on, you can certainly cut your wage bill by a third. (The if is a tough one though - who's going to take Ireland? Same problem Liverpool have with Joe Cole). But assume you do. Problem then is, well, who do you play in your team? You've cut out most of your squad players, lost some major first team players, your budget is in balance. And so, without then increasing your wagebill again, who will be coming in and how will their wages be paid? Think it through - to bring players in, you not only have to shift the dead wood but also make extra room to pay the new guys' wages.
More Heskey and Ireland than Beye. And sure, he's a decent player. And sure you held Manchester City to ransom. But you'll not get £20m for Downing and I reckon if a bid for c.£15m comes in, you'll take it if he wants to go (whichever club puts the bid in). Lerner's clever enough to realise the backside is going to fall out of the transfer market once the new fair play rules comes in and he'll be getting close to the peak price for Downing this summer.
Arsenal officially sign Toral and Bellerin.
Gunners finalise Barca swoops | Sky Sports | Football | Transfer Centre | Done Deal
John Guidetti signed a 4-year deal with Twente.
Gunners finalise Barca swoops | Sky Sports | Football | Transfer Centre | Done Deal
John Guidetti signed a 4-year deal with Twente.
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Knew about Harper ages ago, didn't think we were that interesting in Bellerin tbh (according to my sources anyway)
Yeah, Harper had been done and dusted for a while, but it's 'official' now. Great timing, too - Barça are training at Arsenal, preparing for the match against United.
Skysports.com understands a number of sides are tracking Millwall midfielder Liam Trotter.
Trotter has enjoyed a fine season for Millwall
and his performances have not gone unnoticed.
The likes of Wigan, Norwich and Nottingham Forest
are all thought to be admirers of Trotter after watching him in action this season.
The 22-year-old is highly regarded at Millwall and he was rewarded with a new deal in January.
Trotter popped up with eight goals from midfield this season and Millwall would be loath to lose the former Ipswich man.
Trotter has enjoyed a fine season for Millwall
The likes of Wigan, Norwich and Nottingham Forest
The 22-year-old is highly regarded at Millwall and he was rewarded with a new deal in January.
Trotter popped up with eight goals from midfield this season and Millwall would be loath to lose the former Ipswich man.
Good behaviour.
I like him a lot - as much of a goal threat in the air as on the ground. Can't see Porto selling for less than £25m at least.
twitter feed reporting 'Arry has left Spurs, and looks likely to join Chelsea.
@Sol_Campbell - Seems like Redknapp has gone, good luck at Chelsea Harry you deserve all the success in the world.
@Sol_Campbell - Seems like Redknapp has gone, good luck at Chelsea Harry you deserve all the success in the world.
I hope so too.
So roman sacks Carlo to replace him with 'Arry. Pathetic doesn't quite describe the situation...
It'd be cool if Carlo went to spurs, though.
Rumour on twitter, specifically Sol is that Klinsmann could be the man.
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