Let The Season Resume: The Milner Saga Is Over

Bitter and Blue, SB Nation’s Manchester City blog, has its own view on the Milner-for-Ireland swap. Yesterday the site’s manager, Danny Pugsley, talked about Milner. Today, he looked at what Stephen Ireland could mean to Villa:

Looking at the Villa side, a lack of creativity was apparent last season. At times they could be one dimensional, particularly when deploying John Carew and Emile Heskey as outlets. This isn’t to say Villa don’t possess talent and if Ireland has the midfield built around him to a degree, you can see him forging alliances with both Ashley Young and Gabriel Aghbonlahor. If, however, he is constrained within a rigid 4-4-2 formation he could well struggle as much as he did at times last season.For more, you can read Danny’s piece at Bitter and Blue: Milner deal confirmed, fresh start for Ireland.

As we’ve followed James Milner’s disjointed journey to Aston Villa, we’ve kept up with 7500 to Holte, SB Nation’s Aston Villa blog. Now that Milner’s move is official, Kirsten Schelwitz can say her goodbyes:

As for James Milner, well, I wish him the best. He was caught up in a lot of crap over the past couple months, but he just put his head down and did his job. I’m not gonna lie--it’s going to hurt to see him in a City shirt. But for the sake of England, I hope the team doesn’t keep him on the bench.For the entire post, visit 7500 to Holte and read James Milner to Manchester City; Stephen Ireland to Aston Villa: Done and Dusted.

James Milner’s transfer to Manchester City has finally been completed, with the England international moving to Eastlands for a cash-plus-player deal valued at £26 million.

The transfer ends a saga that starting in May when Manchester City submitted its original bid for Milner. Milner subsequently expressed his desire to move to City, a wish that came to fruition on Wednesday.

SB Nation’s Aston Villa blog has had to ride the roller coaster of the James Milner saga since it’s early-summer early-days. As the story mercifully meets a conclusion, 7500 to Holte’s Kirsten Schlewitz is still conflicted:

That is does, melancholy Villan.

Aston VIlla midfielder James Milner has given Manchester City until Wednesday to conclude their pursuit of the England international, according to reports. According to reports out of England, if the Citizens can not come to an agreement with Villa by then, Milner is prepared to stay at Villa Park for the season.

Milner has been the subject of a summer-long saga, having told former manager Martin O’Neill that he would like to leave the Birmingham Club. City has not been able to meet Aston Villa’s evaluation, originally said to be £30 million, though a deal was said to be in place last week that would take the former Newcastle-man to Eastlands for £26.5 million and midfielder Stephen Ireland. That move reportedly stalled over Ireland’s request for compensation for the move.

For the second time in three years, Aston Villa fans have been put through a summer-long saga surrounding the transfer of one of its midfielders. While James Milner looks destined to join Gareth Barry at Eastlands, Kirsten Schlewitz at SB Nation’s Aston Villa blog (7500 to Holte) has mixed emotions. While the drama surrounding Milner needs to end, Stephen Ireland fails to inspire:

For more on Aston Villa and the James Milner story, you can visit 7500 to Holte or read James Milner And The Never Ending Transfer Saga.

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill has confirmed that midfielder James Milner, linked with a move to Manchester City throughout the summer, is close to leaving Villa Park.

O’Neill had previously said Milner would be allowed to leave for Eastlands should Villa’s evaluation, thought to be £30 million, be met. City had previously offered £20 million for the England international but has since added attacking midfielder Stephen Ireland to a revised package.

Thought his future with the club is still up-in-the-air, Aston Villa midfielder James Milner will continue training with the club and accompany Martin O’Neill’s men to Portugal for the Guadiana Cup:

A club statement read: “James Milner trained with the rest of the Villa squad today at Bodymoor Heath. He and the manager, along with chief executive Paul Faulkner and the player’s representative, Matthew Buck, had an amicable conversation and, while James will not play in tomorrow’s game at Walsall, he will fly with the squad to Portugal on Wednesday ahead of the Guadiana Cup in which Villa will compete with Benfica and Feyenoord this weekend.“Aston Villa are due to face Portugal’s Benfica and the Netherlands’ Feyenoord in the preseason tournament that starts July 30.

As can be expected when one of your club’s players expresses a desire to leave, Aston Villa supporter Kirsten Schlewitz at 7500 to Holte expresses a healthy amount of incredulity:

Oh Jamesy boy, you had a chance to be a Villa hero. Don’t you remember what happened with Gareth Barry? His head got too big for his cheekbones, he demanded a move and now he is vilified by Villans. And what happened? He went to Manchester City and had a not-so-shiny season. James, do you even know how many midfielders City have on their books? Do you honestly think you’ll play every week?Kirsten also tells Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini why he shouldn’t be surprised clubs are asking a little more in transfer fees when the Citizens come asking:

Milner, who just completed his second season at Villa Park, told O’Neill at the beginning of the offseason that he would like to move:

Manchester City’s first offer for Milner was rejected earlier this offseason, with a bid of £20 million said to be £10 million pounds short of Martin O’Neill’s desired price. Even if Aston Villa and Manchester City meet somewhere short of O’Neill’s £30 million price tag, the return would represent a coup for a player bought a relatively short time ago and for a much lower price.