Since Christian Benteke has submitted a transfer request Aston Villa will now be linked with a host of strikers. The first strikers to be linked with Aston Villa are Chelsea pair Demba Ba and Lukaku. Chelsea is linked with Benteke and rumours have been floating around that Chelsea may offer either Lukaku or Ba as part of a cash-player deal. However, if Benteke doesn’t sell to Chelsea, Ba is still seen as an option by Lambert.
First let’s talk about Lukaku. Lukaku has had a terrific season at West Brom, scoring 17 goals yet made less appearances than Benteke. If Chelsea want to sign Benteke, they might offer player-plus cash deal. If such an offer came around, I would definitely accept it. I’d even accept 23 million plus Lukaku on loan. Lukaku is a similar player to Benteke, but I think he has more potential and perhaps, an even better attitude than Benteke. However, I doubt this will actually happen because I just don’t think that Mourinho would want to lose Lukaku, but both can’t be at the club. They are way to similar, in fact some news organisations (a lower number though) believe that Chelsea aren’t interested in Benteke, and Benteke doesn’t want to join Chelsea. It appears as though Tottenham is the only option, but can they afford Benteke? Probably not.
Demba Ba is linked to Aston Villa, having only joined Chelsea 6 months ago. Ba is a similar player to Benteke, big, strong and can score goals. Media claim that Aston Villa will look at Ba no matter where Benteke moves too. Ba may cost approximately 5-7 million, I think that’s a rather affordable price tag for a player that could score us goals for the next 2-4 seasons. There is a slight risk with Ba, his knee isn’t in ideal condition and if he get’s injured, he’s surely out for a long period of time. But it’s undeniable that this player can score goals, he’s scored goals at West Ham, Newcastle and a few at Chelsea. Ba hasn’t played well at Chelsea and Mourinho may be interested in selling.
I really can’t see Mourinhio letting Lukaku leave on loan this coming season. He needs another striker no matter what.
As for Ba.. For 5M that would be a bargain BUT can’t see it happening.. He would want a min 70K a week and we won’t offer him that..
Both non starters for me unfortunately 🙁
I’ve heard that Lukaku has been promised more football this year, but I’m sure he’s also looking a that World Cup starting spot. Especially if Benteke moves.
Ba’s wages are an issue and I did fail to mention that. Could he take a wage cut? I highly doubt it, and I also wonder who much would he be offered at Villa. Perhaps 40k a week?
You are 28 got a dodgy knee and at most 4 years left on top dollar, would you take a £30k a week pay cut to come to VP?
He dosnt have to he can sit on the bench at Chelsea and earn 30k more
Fuck the loan deals we either sign him or forget it.
Lukaku (imo) is a more gifted player than Benteke, I would take him in a heartbeat but on loan? No, a permanent deal or no go.
Demba Ba as Lionheart says at £70k a week its never going to happen.
Yep no loan deals that would really fuck me off
Loan with an option to buy at agreed price but a season loan? No thanks, it just demeans the club turning us into some sort of nursery club where Chelski and the likes send their players to be blooded.
Spot on
Just saw Langford with a red spotted handkerchief on the end of the stick.
Loan with the option to buy would be a good deal. However I’d just rather buy Lukaku straight away
…”similar player to Benteke, but I think he has more potential and perhaps, an even better attitude than Benteke.” – ehh I think not..
Still remember not long ago Lakaku advised Teke to move from Villa to a bigger club.. why would he consider us being a Chelsea player?
UYV
Bentekes agent saying no Chelski move.Lukaku on loan do me a favour would have to give him back “desperate”wouldn’t have to have anyone on loan with 25 million in the bank.Lambert will have a replacement lined up.Not sure if Ba would fit our wage structure but I would go for him.Rumour has that Lambo/Lerner are digging their heals in.Bentekes ultimatum is sort your head out or be sidelined.UTV
Good to hear. it also sends out a clear message to any other payer who may be thinking about using AVFC as a stepping stone.
If no one reaches the 25 million asking price he won’t be sold
So it appears as though only Tottenham are interested, and they can’t afford him. Well, Benteke made a massive mistake of asking for a transfer request. You can’t actually believe that one season of Premier League experience wins you a trip to the big boys.
Only way I can see him winning the fan’s over is by signing a new deal
And that’s why every London paper keeps harping on about Levy thinks the price is too high / Spuds offer Villa player X X and X + cash its like groundhog day.
Villa have set their stall out- £25m upwards so dig deep or go away.
believe me adam all he will need to do to win fans over(if he stays) is score goals, lots and lots of goals.
just cant see chelski going in for benteke, yes they can afford him but they’ve already got lukaku, why on earth would they buy essentially the same player.
also benteke agent has made some rather disparaging comments about Chelsea, bizarre.
ba is an outstanding talent, its no coincidence that newcastles dabble with relegation last season wouldn’t have happened had ba stayed.
spurs can afford benteke, they just don’t want to pay for him, if I was in spurs position id go for it but they’re tring to get him on the cheap, it seems as far as his agent is concerned its spurs all the way but he may not have banked on lambert and learners tenacity in this matter.
Lukaku on loan would be a great signing i mean lets face it if we signed him outright and he had a good season we would only sell him next summer anyway so that would stop all the haggling and if he didnt do very well then we would sign him for less than we would have paid this summer. you see there is always a plus side to having no ambition and just being a feeder club for bigger sides
The difference is if we sign him and he does well we get a huge profit. Also woulda loan player really buy into what pl is trying to achieve when he know she will only be with us for a yr. plus it co for,s our feeder club status. Would have him if he signs but loan deals are an embarrassment and small club mentality
I wouldn’t mind getting Lukaku on loan because I feel as though we will struggle to find a replacement for Benteke. Lukaku can score goals it will be what we need at this time. Plus Helenius could also learn from Lukaku and it would feel as though we never lost the Belgium.
Then for the 2014-2015 season, Helenius would become our main forward
One of the developing facets of Villa’s attacking play under Lambert has been getting the ball into Benteke early, allowing him to pin down defenders and dominating them with his robust style. The results, demonstrated by his goal return, have been astounding.
I’ve just been reading the above article (I’ll post the link below) and it got me thinking- does Benteke need Lambert more than Lambert needs Benteke?
Reading it made me realize how Lamberts tactical awareness had played to CB strengths making him the player he was last season.
Think about it, Holte at Norwich had a great season under Lambo and did what last year?
Just a thought.
Have a read for yourself -link awaiting moderation.
I mentioned the Holte great season to a friend. I think there’s something in Lambert’s approach that has benefited Benteke greatly.
I’ve never actually took that into consideration. Benteke is a centre forward, which is the way that most teams opt to play these days. Not with 2 forwards, but just one.
I still think Benteke would fit into the Spurs team more than any other, maybe Chelsea a bit but if Ba struggled, Benteke would too.
Personally, I believe that if Benteke left the Villa curse would hang over him. Like all the other big players that left Villa, Downing, Milner, Young, they’ve never actually played as well again. Barry is the only exception. I’d rather get the 25 million, because I seriously think he will not match up the hype.
http://worldsoccertalk.com/2013/07/12/christian-benteke-should-think-twice-before-walking-out-on-aston-villa/?
Good analysis of CB and also of our club
I read a good point in another article along the lines of at the moment Villa mostly play in our own half, because we don’t boss the midfield and are still developing the team. We have Wiemann and Gabby who both have great pace and we are good on the counter attack. Would Benteke fit in so well in a team where the ball is often in the opponent’s half and he’s not winning balls in the air? Ok, he’s a damn fine player and will score goals wherever but does our current set up flatter him even more?
It’s true, if he stayed one more season he would’ve developed and become stronger. Aston Villa will be playing better this season, so we could see the team bossing more. And, then he could learn a remotely different style of player.
Reports in daily mail state that spurs to start bidding on cb next week with £20m offer
I have said it before and will say it again, buy the De Jong brothers (Seim & Luuk) for a combined £20m, then pick up Cheikhou Kouyaté (real powerhouse) and Dennis Praet. Tell Spurs we only want £25m in full and final payment, for Benteke, with no instalments (just in case they go broke in the next couple of years), sell Bent for £5m and we will have broken even with a better balanced squad.
I like the look of Luuk De Jong, I know very letter about his brother though.
I don’t think we need another CB in Kouyate, a very similar player to Okore. But Praet would be a fantastic addition to our side.
I’d like Lambert to have a transfer budget of 30 million pounds. We could definitely strengthen the midfield and attack.
If only Aston Villa gave the chance to submit their scout reports.
I don’t know why, but I honestly believe if Lambert had the money he’d still choose not to spend it, he loves his bargains. Just a thought, who knows?
Villa won’t be bringing in Lukaku or Ba or any other player that we’ve ever heard of because all of these players will want more than 10k a week. Anyone who thinks Lerner will be handing PL anywhere near the possible total transfer received for Benteke is utterly deluded – we owe him millions in interest on loans. Yes loans, before people start telling me how much of his own dough he’s chucked in.
We’ve seen the caliber of player that Lambert sees fit to wear the shirt so why do you think we’ll be buying off chelski? Looks like wonderboy Bennett had his normal shocker yesterday too, with even European part timers able to work out which wing will get them the most joy.
Any of you who wish to know how low we’ve sunk, Southampton have just signed a £12m player. They finished above us and have gone out and strengthened with a player who more than held his own in the Champions league whilst twats on here and twitter have to look at how our signings have performed on Football Manager.
I love Aston Villa as did my father and his. My 3 kids love Aston Villa but we don’t appear to be going anywhere fast and anyone who thinks this is another season of transition is a fool. This is our club under Randolph Lerner.
Sir EARL Well said but when you tell people the truth all you get is ridiculd as being negative.But it;s as plain as the nose on your face that Lerner & Lambert have turned our great club into a bloody joke.Have read this morning even Fulham have new owners.So there as got to be people out there whom are willing to invest in football and if nothing drastic happens at VP before the season and as you rightly say we can;t even beat a team of part timers IMO all we have to look forward to is every week will be a Chelsea 8-0 drubbings week in week out.What a thought to after look forward to that bloody nightmare.
The people who ridicule are the ones who will put up with any old toss in the name of the club. The theory that if we clap and sing enough we’ll pull through is a load of baloney. Why should we put up with a 4th season of struggle falling behind the likes of Swansea, Norwich, Southampton with a humiliating cup exit thrown in each year? People come on here and say ‘we could end up with an owner like Carson Yeung so be grateful for what we’ve got’. I get that, but then there are lots of others who do invest wisely and sensibly.
The line between neagtive and realistic is becoming ever thinner under Lerner’s reign Terry so don’t beat yourself up if others can’t see it. Let the Lemmings keep believing that we’re just around the corner from an assault on the top 6.
Anyway, if Joe Bennett can get a game I might put the old boots back on and I’ve still got Graham Fenton’s number to bolster the midfield if Paul Lambert’s interested.
Mate what hacks me off is after being a Villa fan for 63 yrs did think at first maybe under new ownership things may start to look up with a new more positive vision and at first it did look that way until O Neil walked out.Now however things have slumped even deeper than the dark days of Sir Deadly,s ownership.We have a manager whom is shit scared to buy one two or three experienced players but prepared to wast money on half a dozen unproven players whom may or may not make the grade.You and i both know this sort of mentality can only result in disaster for the club.Bet the next thing Lambert will be scouring Poundland Lidle & Aldi for bargain buys.We as fans deserve more than this if Lerner & Lambert are not going to deliver then GET OUT.
Think uv hit the nail on the head sir Terry. The big questionis this is Lerner not forthcoming with funds so lambert can buy players like bony or is Lambert too scared to spend money on a 12m player for reasons you mentioned? I thought it was the former but now I’m thinking its the latter.
Mate you know the old saying A FOOL and HIS MONEY are SOON PARTED this is Lerner the trouble is though he is letting another FOOL spend it for him and as you say FOOLISH fans will part with their money to watch and defend Lerner Lambert & the club.
I’m not sure Sir Tel I think it’s a combination of dumb and dumber running this club
You two really are a pair of bloody idiots.
Mate the court jesters & village idiots are those backing Lambert.
Spot on sir earl. Too many people on this site can’t tell the difference between being negative and being realistic perhaps they should google both words!! Too many people here are now happy for mediocrity and if for example we finish one place higher this season it would be classed as success. It’s shameful how much expectations have lowered by Lerner and even more shameful that the majority on here are happy with it and keep defending the club.
Know i am going to get slated for this O Niell spent a lot of money on what some fans are calling now mediocre players but at least we did see a glimpse of a team making progress top 6 finishes cup finals.Now what do we have bargain basement buys that would struggle in the Blue Square North league can;t even beat part timers.No more Mr positive from me while Lambert is allowed to ruin our club.
Agree mate though at that time man city and spuds were out the equation and even thou most of mon signings were dross we still had better quality and experience in the team like Milner, Barry, young, Carew etc
I don’t think that Lerner is a bad owner, he loves the club and we’re not in any bad financial situations and I honestly prefer the model that Aston Villa are pursuing over the old one.
The club have already spent 10 million pounds on players, yet Lerner hasn’t gotten anything back. He has invested a lot of the years and I think that we fans aren’t given him the credit.
Yes I’ll admit, McLeish was a mistake but he is trying to make up for it.
How come Southampton and Swansea are buying players at 12m and we can’t those two players would have been great for us to
Last season we spent over 20 million yet we barely got any of that money back.
Swansea are playing in Europa, they have the money to spend. Besides, watch Swansea not spending money in the next few seasons. Laudrop pressured the board to spend.
Southampton have only signed one or two players. Doubt they’ll spend more
Both teams will finish above is though and Fulham have just been taken over by a billionaire owner worth about 1.5b dollars so they will have money to spend. It’s one thing not being able to compete with sky 4 teams but to not be able to compete with the above teams is a disgrace. Who cares if laudraup bullied the board good for him shows he’s got something that Lamberk hasn’t called bottle.
Just watch Swansea fall back like we did. They’re spending a lot this season because they are really going for it.
I’m not sure what Swansea’s objectives are, but they are high.
People are actually unsure if the new Fulham owner will be spending big
Adam, can I just correct you on one point, not wanting to get into a row with a fellow villan! Most of the money that RL has put in is loans from his company – it will have to be paid back mate. He deferred the interest on them last year as it would’ve seen us sink into the abyss. How do you know he loves the club? Have you ever heard him speak or release a statement? In what other industry would that be allowed? He’s overseen a club pushing for the CL to perennial relegation candidates but no one calls him to account? Open your eyes to what’s going on, we are in a season where the rewards have never been greater and we’ve invested £10m on what is an absolute gamble. We have no idea whether these players will be any good. (I’d love them to be btw).
By rights we should’ve been relegated under Mctwatt and last year but didn’t. How sad for me and fellow old farts to see fans celebrating staying up as we did when we won at Wembley – that’s achievement for Randy Lerner’s Aston Villa. Aston Villa, founders of the football league and European Champions scrapping around with the likes of Wigan. We have no right to be a big club and the league doesn’t owe us but when I see fans of our club taunting Wigan Fans cos their shitty little club went down I could cry.
Let me answer your question Oohah, it’s because Saints and Swansea have owners who want to push on.
I know about the loans, and surely a bit of Benteke’s money will go into paying them back.
But Lerner has backed Lambert so far, and I’m sure that Villa will be buying more players in the transfer window. They just have to sell first, because right now there are too many players at the club.
We, fans have to be really patient
It’s because they haven’t spent £240m in 6 years.
Mate we had more ambition under Sir Deadly than we have now.But you will always find that those whom are happy with the situation are the ones that chanted Lambert,s name thus getting him the job.Now it;s hard for them to admit they were wrong and should have left the selection of manager up to Lerner.Now we all know Lambert was not Lerner,s first choice so is he just waiting for him to slip up nearly did last season.I read something a week or so ago that Lambert although as had and got money to spend that if he loses the first three games of the new campain now that Moyes as gone to Manure Lerner is going to bring in his first choice O G S.
You keep saying that Terry but let me take you back to when we narrowly avoided relegation back in 2005, our squad was thin bare and we were a very poor side, your mate Ellis gave David ‘O Leary a paltry £4m to spend on the squad, on which he went out and bought Sorensen and McCann. where was his ambition then?
Stop conveniently forgetting our history to back a futile claim because it’s annoying, Ellis always had the best interests of the club at heat but please do not tell me he had ambition, i remember we lost out on Les Ferdinand at a time when he could have been the missing piece to the puzzle because we wouldn’t up our offer by 500k, same thing goes for Robbie Keane when he was at Wolves, wouldn’t up the offer by 500k.
Don’t tell me about the ambitions of our club like i’ve been sat in a cave for the last god knows how long, you are talking like this is the worst state the club has ever been in yet we are still in the top tier and we are still spending money, albeit not much, but nevertheless we are spending.
I actually worked for Doug Ellis back in ’97 for a while, he, and his son were absolute tossers.
Don’t forget how he fucked up on Beattie and juninho
Our first 3 games are extremely difficult. It may be true, but not the first 3 games.
If Arsenal continue to sign unknown youngsters, we have a chance. Against Liverpool we may also have a chance and I think we can beat Newcastle.
But we shall see, I want to see what happens with Benteke
ADAM mate looking at pre-season matches so far can;t see us having a chance against any team in the Premier without that mercenary scum in the team and as for the players whom have been mentioned as replacements for him not one of them is a 19 or 20 goal a season striker and with a dodgy defence we need to out score other teams to have a remote chance of winning as we saw last season our midfield don;t have any goals in them.
Friendlies mean nothing, they are more about fitness. We play two different sides each half. We’re also playing some youth players and it’s their first time as well.
I wouldn’t be too worried with the results from Germany
Fair point Sir Tez. If we don’t replace benteke goals we need to defend with 11 behind the ball and hope for the best with our shite defense
I’m not sure we had more ambition under Doug tbh though at least we won things and got into Europe under him and he did fork out for collymore that time when he was seen as the missing link and we were actually one of the favorites to win the league that year. Plus in the inaugural prem yr we finished second and had arguably one of the most exciting teams under bfr
Mate it narks me when fans whom can only see the here & now and can;t see that under the regime then and now things then were better under this regime thing will only decay even more than the last few seasons & at least under Sir Deadly Douge we knew what was happening at the club & chanting fans would never have chosen the manager he would have bought the man in of his choice & when they fucked up they would have had their P45 in their hands.
Also remember that the club have always said he was for sake if the right offer comes in. Selling club
Goodmorning Pals/Fellow Villains/Brothers as you probably well know Spurs hope to sign Bencuntee before Wednesday.AVFC Lerner/Faulkner/Lambert n CO holding out for 25 million which is the media figure and probably the figure released from AVFC right now.Personally I don’t trust anyone and what they tell us he goes for and what we let him go for are probably 2 different figures all together…UTV
I think Lerner shouldn’t sell him to spurs for less than 30m IMO. So what if he rots in reserves on 20m a week that’s nothing compared to dunne Ireland etc on 60k. I say do what WBA did to odemwhinger teach him and spurs a fuckin lesson. We all know he has been tapped up its a fuckin disgrace we should tell spuds to do one
I agree with you there OohAh, i actually wouldn’t sell for less than £35m.
You are quite right, we don’t have to sell and on 20k a week, he can sit in the reserves and ruin his world cup chances if he doesn’t want to tow the line.
I think that £25 million is fair, sitting him in the reserves won’t do any good. That would just lower his value, for all we know maybe he’ll change his mind after the season if he stays?
But I can see him moving either way. Get’s in the first team for Belgium, may become a star. Doesn’t, want’s to move so he can get into the first team
Not like u to agree with me guest :-). But we both agree on this I would tell levy 30m at least as benteke will still do well for us even if we paid him 20k as he would have to or he loses wc place. What we should do us say to cb you stay with us on 20k because uv been a twat but if you score 25 goals we will pay you a million bonus at the end of the season.
leave him sit in the reserves on £20,000 a week, his world cup dream will be in tatters , and in 3 years time when his contract runs out no fecker will touch him . Buy Ba as a replacement for £7 million .