While the transfer window doesn’t open officially until July 1st and Villa’s CEO Keith Wyness, who rubber stamps any deals is suspended from football activity for three weeks, the transfer rumours still persist. We look at some of the early transfer rumours currently doing the rounds involving Aston Villa…
Gareth Barry
The Liverpool Echo claims that Gareth Barry will not be leaving Everton to rejoin Aston Villa this summer, pouring water on the rumours (created by Villa fans on Twitter?) that there could be a potential move for the 36-year-old.
As MOMS has reasoned before, when you’re just five games away from equalling Ryan Giggs’ Premier League record of 632 appearances and not getting any younger, why would you drop to the Championship?
Also, Everton have qualified for the Europa League, so will need players like Barry to give the squad depth to cope with the demands of also playing European football.
Everton boss Ronald Koeman certainly impressed by Barry too, saying: “He is one of the best players I have managed in my teams because the cleverness of him in football is really of a high quality.”
Marley Watkins
Mooted Villa target Barnsley forward Marley Watkins committed himself to signing a three-year deal with Norwich City ending the possibility of Villa adding a third Barnsley player to their ranks…unless…
Marc Roberts
Since our last Transfer report, Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Barnsley captain Marc Roberts.
According to the Sheffield Star, Villa are willing to splash out £5m for the defender, which seems a little over the odds for the player, when you compare such a fee to the purchases of both Henri Lansbury and Conor Hourihane.
Roberts was named this season’s Barnsley player of the year, after becoming club captain after Hourihane joined Villa in January.
Amari’i Bell
Aston Villa have been mentioned in local newspaper stories – Eastern Daily Press & Blackpool Gazette – about interest in Fleetwood left-back Amri’i Bell. The former Blues academy player has apparently been on the radar of Norwich City, with both Villa and the Blues being mentioned in the mix for the 23-year-old.
Entering the final year of his contract, Bell is meant to be available for around £1million.
If Jordan Amavi is moved on then Villa will no doubt be in the hunt for a new left-back to give them options alongside Neil Taylor.
Sam Johnstone
While Villa are currently in the driving seat in terms of securing Sam Johnstone for another season off Manchester United, reports have emerged from the Herfordshire Mercury and other local press, that Watford are interested in securing his services permanently.
With Johnstone unlikely to displace Heurelho Gomes as number one and the fact that these reports are implying that Villa can’t afford to buy Johnstone permanently, which isn’t true, at the moment I can’t see Johnstone going anywhere else but Villa Park.
Jose Mourinho is keen to keep Johnstone in the United fold at the moment, so a season loan to Villa would suit him the best.
UTV
Follow MOMS on Twitter at @oldmansaid to get common sense on transfer rumours
I think a lot of these “targets” don’t come off as they’re not actually “targets” ? …. Sure, the Birmingham mail and us lot on twitter etc can post up names that could be looked at (realistic or not) and then it carries on from there (Abraham, Defoe, Barry, I think I even saw Pontus Janson from Leeds in one article) are names that any journalist or fan can pluck from wherever and say “Villa interested in so-and-so” then we all get excited on twitter and when it doesn’t happen people start moaning saying “typical Villa not pushing things through”, when in fact i’m sure “them upstairs” know who they’re going for and are pushing on with it, I have faith anyway haha even if it is blind.
2 weeks ago I was told Mourinho had not desided what players might leave/be allowed out on loan because there were still games to play and that may apply to a few other clubs hense why no action with talk of “better” players being signed so it may be that we may not see much action untill the 1st week of pre season
However Johnstone case is difficult as he’s well liked @ Carrington , but still well down the pecking order for match time . Also there is much talk as to how much longer DeGea will remain with them but there is still Romero & Pereira potentially ahead of him + other keepers in their reserves However there is the fact that Mourinho & Bruce are pals so @ the least a loan might be possible
Interesting that Watkins has committed to Norwich and Abrahams has committed to Newcastle, are we dragging our feet again, or are we just going to end up with what’s left in other words players that others don’t rate. If this is the fault of Wyness he needs to Learn to keep his mouth shut isn’t it he who said recently Kodjia can go for the right price. Yes we need strengthening but come on half of the players that we are being linked with would struggle in a pub team. I read that Bruce will take us up next season definitely well for me this is cloud 9 talk, we need to take a leaf out of Norwich and Newcastle book and get on with it, we don’t have to wait until the window opens. Finally why do we keep on about Johnstone just pay up and sign him permanently before someone else does, Very frustrating again and doesn’t fill me with confidence for promotion.