Villa have failed to sell Bent because of his age, the wages he is on and the directive to limit the wage bill of premiership teams to a 10% increase.
You can't be serious ....... I love Sunderland but if you can show me any glamour, at a club still ****ing about a cup 40 years ago, then I'll take my hat off to you.
All true, to a degree, but not the whole story. Villa had one bid to buy ... that was from a promoted side who offered £5 million over 3 years. People who think we can just flog off the likes of Graham, Bardsley, Vaughan, etc are dreaming. They believe we can just punt them and buy any players we fancy.
Completely serious. I didn't say we're a glamorous club. We aren't, I completely agree. We're more glamorous than we have been for decades though. It doesn't take much but as I said, baby steps.
Yes, I read about that bid, I am not sure how reliable it was but the bid failed, reportedly, because they wanted Villa to pay a portion of his wages. You are right about selling our dross, Leeds paid wages for players years after they transferred out.
I can tell you it was 100% true. The lad who told me is the financial director, at Villa, and they were desperate to punt him. They wanted the money to bring in an experienced English midfield player to help their kids. Ironically they were banking on Parker who went to Fulham to play with Bent. 2nd choice was Huddlestone. Now they're praying he'll do so well, at Fulham, that someone will give them £8 million. If not his contract will run down and they've blobbed just over twenty million pounds! If Villa can't sell an England international striker for any more than we paid for Fatty Graham then that proves how hard the market is doesn't it?
That was regarding my comment about our usually ****e pre-seasons .... of course I, and everyone else, knows where we played this pre-season. As for the rest, we're pretty much in agreement.
I know mate but when faced with a sarcastic compliment I'll just take the compliment and won't worry too much about the sarcasm!
The deal was £24 million if he'd won caps, played in Europe or scored a certain amount of goals, etc. Sunderland will get nowt more than they've had unless Villa sell him for more than they paid. That's like selling the Ameobi twins for more than the price of a decent hatchback .....
Wow!!!!!! I think we may have been separated at birth .... are you heavily freckled & ginger with a slight hunchback and a captivating smile?
Well that's my interest in Bent finished then. My wines finished so good night mate and Nil illegitimi Carborundum.