Manchester City close in on Aston Villa's James Milner
City move ahead of United in battle to sign midfielder Champions League football and £24m fee may seal deal
Aston Villa face a major battle to keep hold of James Milner after Manchester City identified the midfielder as one of their summer transfer targets.
The England international has been in outstanding form this season, prompting Martin O'Neill to admit last week that he anticipates interest in Milner from leading clubs at home and abroad. There has been speculation that Manchester United are monitoring Milner's position but City's interest is known to be stronger and promises to pose a major threat to any hopes their neighbours might have of signing the former Leeds United trainee.
City's Abu Dhabi owners will sanction another lavish spending spree before the start of next season as part of their plans to become a major force in world football and that process will be largely overseen by Brian Marwood, the club's football administrator. Marwood has long admired Milner's qualities as a footballer and also knows the player well from his previous employment as head of UK operations for Nike, which sponsors the 24-year-old.
Villa would be likely to demand double the £12m they paid Newcastle United for Milner two years ago and the player could also expect to double his £45,000-a-week wages at Eastlands. Financing a deal will present no problem for the world's richest club but much may depend on whether City seize the final Champions League qualification spot and how events unfold at Villa Park during the summer.
Milner has two years remaining on his contract and, although Villa have signalled their intention to extend that deal and offer improved terms, no talks are scheduled. O'Neill said last month that he was keen to ensure there are no distractions for Milner and suggested that the two parties might not sit down to discuss a new contract until after the World Cup.
Since making those comments, however, O'Neill's long-term future has become uncertain and it may well be that Milner's next move is dependent on the decision the Villa manager makes on his own position in the summer.
Milner is known to feel a debt of gratitude to Villa and in particular to O'Neill, whose desire to sign Milner led to the club paying Newcastle what many felt at the time was an inflated fee, and his decision this season to move him from wide right to central midfield has proved a masterstroke.
Both those factors are likely to weigh heavily on Milner's mind should O'Neill opt to stay at Villa Park for a fifth season. There is, however, also an acceptance that Champions League football would be hard for him to resist at a time when Villa appear to have hit a glass ceiling. O'Neill said this month that "for James to continue to improve we will need to improve the standard of our player", yet there have been suggestions that the club's owner, Randy Lerner, will tighten rather than loosen the purse strings this summer.
O'Neill suggested that, if that were the case, one potential way to deal with it would be through "maybe taking a risk with a major player to be transferred [out] to sort things out". He would, however, be extremely reluctant to lose Milner. Fabio Capello described him as England's most improved player this season and his impressive performances were recognised last week when he was shortlisted for the Professional Footballers' Association young player of the year award.
Those performances have also caught Sir Alex Ferguson's eye, although the United manager is expected to have other priorities in the summer, including a new striker, before he turns his attention to strengthening an ageing midfield.
It would rankle with Villa supporters if another key player was sold to City in the wake of Gareth Barry's transfer last year, although the circumstances are different. Whereas Barry had been agitating for a transfer for 12 months and was happy to join a club that had failed to qualify for Europe, Milner has never rocked the boat at Villa and is unlikely to move unless Champions League football were on offer.
Craig Bellamy fears for his future at Manchester City! Star at odds with boss Roberto Mancini
Craig Bellamy's fractious relationship with Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is threatening his future at the Barclays Premier League club.
The situation between Bellamy and his Italian manager is now so uneasy that the Wales forward has privately expressed a wish to leave Eastlands this summer if Mancini remains in charge.
Although Bellamy - one of City's best players this season - is an emotional character prone to explosive outbursts of frustration that he often reconsiders, it is understood that his frustration with life under Mancini is now pretty much constant.
Bellamy has endured a difficult relationship with Mancini since his predecessor Mark Hughes was sacked before Christmas.
Initially Bellamy vowed publicly to make a go of things and has given his all to City's push for the Champions League places. But, in the weeks and months that have followed Mancini's appointment, things have got no better.
Sportsmail revealed recently that Bellamy was under investigation by City for allegedly making comments in support of David Moyes in the players' tunnel after the Everton manager and Mancini clashed on the touchline at Eastlands during a game.
City were never able to prove that Bellamy made the comments and let the matter rest. But it is understood that Mancini and the Welsh striker have spoken briefly about the issue and have subsequently declared what has been described as an 'uneasy truce'.
Bellamy has continued to feature regularly in City's first team and few could ever question his dedication and commitment to his club's cause. But it is no coincidence that the quality of Bellamy's football has dropped in recent weeks and some people at City now believe that the striker's relationship with Mancini cannot realistically be expected to survive beyond the summer.
If City were to qualify for the Champions League next season, Bellamy would clearly face a huge decision about his future. As it stands now, however, he would seriously consider any offers he considers attractive, and would even consider a move abroad.
With Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp definitely interested in Bellamy and his former City manager Hughes an enduring fan, Bellamy is likely to have some options this summer, even if he would have to take a pay cut on his £90,000-a-week wages.
It is understood that Bellamy remains unhappy with the way that Mancini arranges and conducts training sessions and has not always been enamoured with the Italian's chosen style of football.
Last week Bellamy was seen ranting at City football administrator Brian Marwood at the club's Carrington training ground.
Bellamy had asked Marwood - with whom he has a decent relationship - for an advance on his wages and was, according to sources, merely 'letting off steam' about an issue not actually connected to his life at the club.
Although the image of a £90,000-a-week footballer needing urgent cash is a rather startling one, it is understood that Bellamy wants the money to settle a one-off, unexpected bill and the matter does not reflect any serious lifestyle issues.
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Barcelona are mulling over a move for Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy. The Catalan giants could offer about £10m for a player they tried to sign last summer. The Guardian
Manchester United are chasing Newcastle's 17-year-old Slovenian midfielder Haris Vuckic, who has made three first-team appearances for the Magpies this season. Daily Mail
Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish wants to take Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster on loan next season. Daily Mirror
Everton are close to wrapping up a deal to sign 24-year-old Standard Liege striker Dieumerci Mbokani. Footylatest
OTHER BOLLOX
England coach Fabio Capello is considering calling Michael Dawson into his World Cup squad after being impressed by the Tottenham defender's recent performances.Daily Mail
Ipswich manager Roy Keane says he wants to sign "four or five real men" next season and will axe up to half his current squad.
Daily Mail
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