James Milner: I don't know leh.. I really don't know :(
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James Milner hints at Manchester City move by declaring: 'I don't know if I'll be at Aston Villa next season'
James Milner moved closer to joining Manchester City last night after declaring he was uncertain of his future at Aston Villa and driven by a desire to win trophies.
On a day when Villa rejected a £20million bid for Milner from big-spending City, the 24-year-old declined the invitation to commit his future to his current club.
Asked if he would still be a Villa player next season, he said: ‘I don’t know.’ He then gave further encouragement to City — believed to be preparing an increased offer — when he said his chief ambition was to end his career with a room full of silverware.
Eyes on the ball: Milner training in Austria with the rest of the England squad
‘That’s what I’m in football to do,’ he said. ‘To win trophies. That’s my No 1 aim for club and country. When I finish my career, I want to be able to go into my trophy room and see winner’s medals. I want to be as successful as I can be. We came close twice with Villa this season.’
Villa are willing to bring forward talks with Milner over a potential new contract, in a bid to ward off City’s interest. Owner Randy Lerner insisted only last week that the club would wait until after the World Cup in South Africa before opening negotiations.
City target: Villa turned down a £20m bid for James Milner on Wednesday evening
But now they are prepared to speak to the midfielder before he jets off with England.
Villa have a two-day window of opportunity after England’s friendly in Graz against Japan on May 30 in which to discuss an improved deal.
However, speaking at England’s training camp in Austria, Milner said the situation might not be resolved until after the World Cup.
Race against time: Milner could fill Barry's boots if the midfielder doesn't recover in time for the World Cup
‘I was concentrating on Villa and I am now concentrating on England,’ he said. ‘I’m here to stake as good a claim as I can to get on the plane to the World Cup.
‘When I finished the season at Villa, I said we’d discuss it after the World Cup. I have enjoyed my time at Villa. It’s a great club to be at. We are moving forward in the right direction. We’ve had a good season. We finished with a higher points total than last year in the League.’
City midfielder Gareth Barry, meanwhile, insists treatment on his ankle is going well and he is hopeful of making the cut for South Africa.
Barry said: ‘I’ve been having regular sessions with the medical staff at Carrington and they are pleased with how things are going.
‘I’m feeling positive still and the medical staff are being brilliant — they are doing everything they can to help me.’