Martin O'Neill slap price tag on James Milner
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James Milner will cost £30m! Aston Villa warn Manchester City as England star's future looks increasingly uncertain
Aston Villa are warning Manchester City that it will cost £30m before James Milner is allowed to leave.
The midfielder’s future at Villa Park now looks increasingly uncertain after the club’s failed on Tuesday to yield any firm commitment from the player.
O’Neill along with club owner Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner discussed their vision for Villa in an hour-long meeting at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training complex.
On the move: Milner is preparing for the World Cup with England but his club future is looking increasingly uncertain with Manchester City keen
Despite the combined efforts of both the club’s manager and its’ billionaire owner, Milner did not feel sufficiently moved to commit himself, however.
Villa had promised to prepare a new deal for the England international that would have made him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.
On the lookout: Man City boss Roberto Mancini is scouring potential new signings
But Milner will not be allowed to go on the cheap and Villa will not entertain any offer that values their prize asset at anything less than £30m, after already having rejected one bid of £20m from the richest club in the Barclays Premier League.
Both sides remained silent on the issue last night but the fact that the joint involvement of Lerner and O’Neill failed to elicit a positive response is seen as a major negative by sources close to the Birmingham club.
The outcome of that meeting will be of huge interest to Roberto Mancini and those behind-the-scenes at Eastlands who see Milner’s honesty and industry as being of vital components in next season’s Champions League push.
While O’Neill will be undoubtedly disappointed if he loses a player who has been a fulcrum of his side’s success for a second season, he will at least be armed with sufficient funds to be able to make his own splash during the summer sales
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Englishman ma, sure expensive one.
