Milner closes in on City move as Villa eye cash-plus-Stephen-Ireland deal
James Milner returned to training at Aston Villa on Tuesday and hopes his proposed move to Manchester City will be finally approved by this weekend.
City and Villa are still haggling over a fee for the England midfielder, 24, who has 11 caps.
But the two clubs are believed to be close to a compromise after City’s initial bid in May of £20million plus add-ons was rejected.
Milner has told team-mates a deal is likely to be struck soon as Villa need to generate cash to fund their own moves in the market.
Villa boss Martin O’Neill, who has to sell-to-buy, has transfers for Spurs’ Robbie Keane and Celtic’s Aiden McGeady already lined-up.
Now Milner is waiting on the green light to be given permission to speak to City officials.
And a deal for Milner could include out-of-favour City midfielder Stephen Ireland going in the opposite direction as they are unwilling to pay £30m cash.
Milner trained yesterday after seeing a chiropractor on Monday night when Villa return from Portugal.
Milner did not play for Villa against Feyenoord and Benfica in the the Guadiana Cup at the weekend.Mirror
LIONEL MESSI: ALEX FERGUSON REGRETS LETTING CARLOS TEVEZ GO
Lionel Messi thinks Alex Ferguson regrets letting Carlos Tevez move to Manchester City
LIONEL Messi believes Sir Alex Ferguson regrets letting his Argentina team-mate Carlos Tevez move to Manchester City, who he believes are now only two world-class defenders away from winning the Premier League title.
He said: “I am sure United and Ferguson regret letting Carlitos go, and if they had shown him more respect he would still be there.
“It was never about money for Carlitos – it was about respect and needing to feel wanted. And the truth is United made him feel unwanted while City have done everything they could do to make him feel wanted. It doesn’t matter how good you are or how much money you earn, it’s a basic human emotion to want to feel loved.
“I thought it would take City years to win the title, but looking at the players they now have I think they can do it, and Carlitos’ goals can fire them above Chelsea and United. When you look at Carlitos, Yaya Toure, David Silva and all the others you need to start taking them seriously.
“They have a great squad, a great manager and are probably two world-class defenders away from winning the title. Carlitos can be the most feared striker in Europe next year along with David Villa, and I expect him to score 30 league goals.”
Messi describes midfield anchorman Toure as ‘a beast’ and has tipped him to fully justify the £27million fee Manchester City paid to Barcelona this summer.
“It doesn’t matter who else City sign they will not get a better signing than Yaya. He is an absolute beast of a player and will dominate games for City. If City do end up winning the title this season, this will be the signing that does it for them.”
Man City set to land Barcelona midfielder
Big-spending Manchester City are ready to snap up £34million-rated Barcelona kid Gai Assulin – for nothing.
The 19-year-old Israeli attacking midfielder has arrived for talks about a surprise move to City after cancelling his contract with Barca where he had the sky-high valuation in his deal.
Assulin made the Barca first team for a Cup tie at the age of 16 and is also his country’s youngest-ever cap. But a bad knee injury set him back and he fell out with Pep Guardiola’s coaching team.
Now City are set to snap him up and increase the quality of their emerging talent - an area they think needs to be improved.
Assulin could be signed up and sent out on loan as the mega-bucks club try to bring through the next generation of players and avoid spending millions in future. Mirror
LESLIE BOLLOX
Mark Hughes turns up heat on Man City to begin simple life at Fulham
Hughes says he would have taken City into Champions League
Fulham manager Mark Hughes has been promised a transfer budget by the club's chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed.
Mark Hughes has intensified the pressure on his successor at Manchester City by suggesting that Roberto Mancini underachieved last season, insisting he would have earned his old club a Champions League place had he not been sacked.
Speaking at his unveiling as the new manager of Fulham today, Hughes admitted he was "disappointed" to be sacked last December as he believes he was on course to exceed the club's pre-season target of a sixth-place finish. City were sixth when the Welshman was replaced and under Mancini finished fifth, but when asked whether he would have steered the club to the Champions League had he not been dismissed, Hughes answered: "Yes, I think I would have. Fourth was very achievable.
Hughes spoke without rancour but did not attempt to disguise his displeasure with the way his job was complicated at City, both by "the layers of management" and his lack of full control over transfers. "Some occasions at City, in fairness, some players were presented to me that I didn't really have a direct influence in but when you get a phone call and someone says, 'Would you like Robinho?' you say: 'Well, yeah' but whether or not a situation like that was correct in terms of the timing and the development of the club at the stage is open to debate."
Hughes was eager to distance himself from some of the extravagant transfers fees paid during his reign. "The figures are always quoted in terms of my record at Manchester City. I can quite understand that but the amounts paid weren't really directly influenced by me. No one could have done a better job than me [at City] given the circumstances."
Hughes ramped up the pressure on Mancini by insisting the Italian had to deliver a better finish this term and challenge for the title. "Given the amount of investment that they've already put into their playing staff, then certainly the top four has to be nailed on for them and really they should be looking to push on to win the Premier League," he said.
If Hughes insists City should set their sights high this term, he is no less ambitious for his new club. He was initially reluctant to accept the job because he feared Fulham may have been lulled into complacency after having reaching a record-high Premier League perch – seventh – and the Europa League final in the past two years under Roy Hodgson. "They could very well have rested on their laurels and patted themselves on the back and said, 'We've done OK, now let's cut our cloth accordingly and rein things in again' but that's not the case.
"After discussing things with Alistair Mackintosh [Fulham chief executive] my perception completely changed. I think they see an opportunity to build on what has gone on in the last couple of years and they want me, as the manager, to do that for them. Some managers like to downplay ambitions but I've never operated like that – the players and supporters need to know that something can be achieved."
He has made it clear to his new chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, that achieving the initial target – a top 10 league finish this season – entails buying some new players. "The Premier League is a very expensive league and you do need resources and you need funds to keep energising the team," Hughes said.
"If you don't add quality to a club you'll stand still and people will overtake you." Fayed, who sold Harrods for £1.5bn in the summer, has assured him that money will be made available – and demonstrated his commitment by making an impromptu appearance at today's press conference and thrusting a £50 note into Hughes's hand. Yet Hughes acknowledged that reported targets at his former club, notably Craig Bellamy and Roque Santa Cruz, may be "out of our price range", although he hinted that a deal may still be done. "If players of that ability were available, obviously I would be interested. It would require a big swing in terms of the amounts we've paid before but it may not impossible."
Fayed said he would allow Hughes to exert the influence that the Welshman says he was denied at City. "You have to give people responsibility, that is very important," the chairman said. "Fulham is a wonderful club and he is happy with our methods for running things. No complications, no bureaucracy." Guardian
WAG OF THE DAY
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TRANSFER BOLLOX
Ramires on the way to Chelsea in £18m switch... and will £27m Benfica team-mate David Luiz be next?
Chelsea target Ramires is expected to undergo a medical on Tuesday ahead of completing an £18million move from Benfica to Stamford Bridge.
Sportsmail revealed last month that manager Carlo Ancelotti wanted to sign the Brazil midfielder following his impressive performances at the World Cup and in Benfica's title-winning campaign. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... -next.html
Liverpool in shock move for former Arsenal ace
Liverpool are interested in out-of-favour AC Milan midfielder Mathieu Flamini
Liverpool have been linked with AC Milan midfielder Mathieu Flamini as the search for Javier Mascherano’s replacement goes on.
The Frenchman, who used to ply his trade in the Premier League for Arsenal, is the latest of a plethora of central midfielders linked with a move to Anfield. http://www.caughtoffside.com/2010/08/03 ... n-flamini/
Birmingham have lined up an ambitious bid to land Italian World Cup-winning left-back Fabio Grosso on a season-long loan from Juventus. Daily Mail
Spurs have opened talks over the £4m signing of Portugal striker Yannick Djalo from Sporting Lisbon but Newcastle are also reported to be interested. Daily Mirror
Sources in Barcelona say the family of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas are upset at the Catalan club's failure to sign the midfielder. Daily Mail
Spurs look set to let Morocco international midfielder Adel Taarabt leave White Hart Lane for QPR in a deal which could be worth up to £1m. Daily Mail
Leeds United boss Simon Grayson is set to sign Tottenham's young England centre-back Steven Caulker on a season-long loan deal. Daily Mirror
OTHER BOLLOX
West Ham players and coaching staff have been hurling abuse at goalkeeper Robert Green in a bid to prepare him for the World Cup backlash expected from crowds this season. Daily Mail
Hull owner Russell Bartlett has denied claims the club is heading for administration due to money owed on transfers. Daily Mail
Manchester United's Portuguese winger Nani has upstaged his team-mates by showing up to training in a limited-edition Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni - costing £150,000, it is one of just 250 made in the world. Daily Mail
MONEY BOLLOX (NOT CITY'S)
Portsmouth to learn fate at High Court on Thursday
Portsmouth could face a points deduction if they lose the appeal
Portsmouth will find out on Thursday whether an appeal by tax authorities which disputes the amount of money they are owed has been successful.
HM Revenue & Customs says it is owed £13m more than the £24m claimed by Portsmouth's administrators.
Pompey, who were relegated to the Championship in May, are striving to come out of administration.
If the appeal succeeds, Pompey could face a further points penalty and the threat of liquidation.
Gregory Mitchell QC representing HMRC told the High Court on Tuesday that the club were operating a "sham" to avoid paying more tax.
He accused the club of paying players via image rights instead of salaries, meaning they would not have to pay tax on their earnings as they could be deposited in offshore accounts.
"[Pay-as-you-earn tax] should have been paid," Mitchell said. "For some years the club has entered into sham agreements under which players were being paid in respect of image rights when in fact there was no commercial basis for it.
"It was a way in which the club could pay the money into a tax haven."
HMRC claims it is owed a total of £37m and is challenging a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) which would allow Portsmouth to exit administration.
For a CVA to be agreed, it must win the support of those owed at least 75% of the unsecured debt. On 17 June the proposed agreement garnered 81.3% of the vote.
But HMRC has argued that the disputed £13m of debt was left out of the original calculations and, if included, it would then have more than the 25% of the debt it needs to block the CVA.
It has come down hard on Pompey as it seeks to dispute the situation where football creditors, such as clubs and players, are given preference and up to 100% of monies owed while other creditors only receive a fraction of what they are due.
HMRC is one of the non-football creditors and as such would receive only a percentage of what it is owed under the CVA, although if Portsmouth are liquidated HMRC could actually lose more money.
If it wins the case, HMRC could lose the £6m offered under the CVA, with Richard Sheldon QC representing Portsmouth saying: "We see no reason why HMRC want to pursue this appeal. They'd be shooting themselves, other creditors and the fans in the foot. I ask them to go away and consider whether they want to pursue this."
If High Court judge Mr Justice Mann finds in favour of HMRC and Portsmouth exit administration without agreeing a CVA, they could be docked 15-20 points by the Football League.
The administrators may then believe they have no option but to liquidate the club.
In February debt-ridden Portsmouth became the first Premier League club to enter administration. They were docked nine points.
Administrators later revealed Pompey owed about £120m and a plan was proposed in June to repay unsecured creditors at least 20p in the pound over five years.
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