Manchester City is still hoping to acquire the service of England international James Milner. The Aston Villa midfielder attracted the City manager Roberto Mancini who looks determined to land the player in the Eastlands this summer.
While Milner is busy on his international duty with England in South Africa, City is continuously pushing Aston Villa to negotiate a deal for the 24-year-old versatile midfielder who can play almost anywhere at the middle of the park. He is generally a winger who prefers the left wing, but is capable of playing as a central midfielder as well as a full back.
Milner is not the only midfielder City has been tracking for sometime now. In fact, they are also trying hard to sign Chelsea’s free agent Joe Cole who is also in South Africa to represent England in World Cup 2010. However, City is facing stiff competition from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the race of bagging Cole’s service. The player would take the final decision after the end of the World Cup.
James Milner was impressive with Aston Villa last season. So, it is not a surprise that a number of other clubs also revealed their interest to sign him. Milner joined Aston Villa on a permanent deal in 2008 from Newcastle United.
Manchester City is believed to already have a £25 million bid rejected by Aston Villa for Milner last month. However, they are not going to give it up yet, as they have huge transfer budget to spend. They are even ready to meet Villa’s £30 million asking price for the player. However, Villa manager Martin O'Neill would not let the player go so easily.
Money is not a big issue for Manchester City as Mancini has got the backing of the club’s billionaire owner. Last summer, City spent a huge amount to bring in the likes of Barry, Kolo Toure and Adebayor, and it seems their spending spree would continue this summer too.
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