Thursday’s Villa Transfer Rumours

Martin O’Neill has once again stated he is looking to strengthen amidst the rumours and gossip of transfers due!

He also says it would have been good to be able to have the option to rest Martin Laursen who defied all the doubters and played every game last season.

MON told the official site: ‘It’s been a great effort and I’m delighted for Martin. Well done to him. For him to have played the number of games he has this season has been terrific but it would have been nice to have had the option to rest him. The same goes for some of the younger boys who’ve played a lot of games, it would have been nice to say ‘you’re sub today’ or ‘you’re not in the 16 – or 18 as it will be next year’ just to rest them. But we haven’t had the wherewithal.’

Adding, ‘That’s something we know we’ve got to address over the summer and while talking about it is the easy part, we know what we need to do to push on.’

So, on to the rumours. Still not that many about I must admit, a report in the Daily Telegraph says that Villa have dropped the idea of signing Scott Carson permanently from Liverpool because the two clubs can’t agree a fee. No great surprise there after the tug of war the clubs are having over Gareth Barry.

OK, I mentioned the GB saga, so I might as well also mention the gossip in The Sun who say Liverpool want £16m from Juventus for midfielder Xabi Alonso, but will call off any deal if they fail to land Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry.

Meanwhile the Telegraph say that Reading are willing to listen to offers for Nicky Shorey following their relegation. The England left-back is apparently wanted by Aston Villa, West Ham and Newcastle.

Sky Sports go further and explain Reading’s chief executive Nigel Howe has admitted the club will have to trim their wage bill and that will lead to some of their best players leaving.

Some reports are suggesting that Villa are now looking at taking Manchester United’s keeper Ben Foster on loan. NO NO NO. We SHOULD NOT be loaning players, not a club of our size! We are also still pursuing American shot stopper Brad Guzan and according to other reports, keeping an eye on former Villa player and now Hull keeper Boaz Myhill.

Boaz, who left Villa for a eyebrow raising tiny fee of £50 000 in 2003, and yes, I can still remember moaning about it back then (!) has explained his departure was by mutual agreement as it was obvious he was too young for first team football and he was fed up playing 2-3 times a month for the reserves and just training the rest of the time. Adding, ‘It’s a club I’ve always supported, but things don’t always work out the way you want them to in football.’

One of the gossip sites also says we are interested in 35-year-old Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Bernd Schneider to add a bit of experience to the team. Hmmm, can’t see it myself!

Can’t see any other rumours today!