Aston Villa are preparing a £9 million bid for Newcastle United winger James Milner. The former Leeds man has been targeted by Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez all summer but it now looks as though Martin O'Neill is to chance his luck by making a bid for the England under-21 international.Milner, 22, had a brief spell at Villa Park two seasons ago and was close to a £4 million permanent move then, but for whatever reasons nothing materialised. Newcastle are looking to bring in new players, not lose them but it is widely thought that they must sell before they can think of buying so Kevin Keegan may have to let go of Milner.
I would be very surprised if Villa were the only team to make a bid for James. He is a terrific winger who I feel would be a great acquisition for several sides in the Premier League but not Liverpool. I feel the appeal of European football could force Milner to leave Newcastle and join Villa.
Is Milner good enough for your team? Join the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) and sign the highly rated youngster for just £4.5 million. What a bargain!