Paul Lambert has recently spoken about his plans for the January transfer market. He hasn’t ruled out any signings, but he admits that he doesn’t see Aston Villa spending big money on players. Instead he will prefer to give youth a chance. This doesn’t mean he won’t sign any new players in January but he will target similar players such as Bacuna, Okore and Kozak. Young players with potential for a low fee.
“That’s the game…it’s a challenge,” Lambert said. “Randy has been great and (chief executive) Paul Faulkner has been great but we won’t be able to do what you would call a massive signing.
“We won’t be able to go out and buy the big type of players. We have to look at the market, the young lads. We give them an opportunity and hopefully they take it.” – Paul Lambert
Due to the recent injuries Villa’s squad has been depleted with injuries. Over 8 players are currently injured and Lambert has had to place Villa youth players on the bench.
So, it’s likely that Villa fans will see a new player or two in January, but it’s unlikely that it’ll be a big name. Still, as long as the young player is good and can offer something to our team I’d be content. Besides Benteke came out alright.
I think its not a case of……Buy cheap, find a few gems, sell on and line Lerners pockets
Meant to say – “I think its a case of.”…..
Yep that’s exactly what it is buy cheap sell dear classic business ethic.
No surprise here, tbh I think we might not even sign anyone in January window. Maybe 1 unknown midfielder for 1-2m like Sylla. Last Jan we were in a desperate state and we spent hardly anything, I don’t see this Jan being any different now we are more ‘comfortable’.
In fairness, the quote doesn’t really say much at all.
No massive signings, so Messi’s out the window (bastard, I’d built my hopes up on that one lol).
And yes it mentions young lads, which suggests dirt cheap.
Personally, I’d guess we have a limit of around 10 million max on any single player.
The problem is, I don’t know who’s set that limit.
As for giving young lads a chance, that’s fine, but you have to mix it with some proven decent quality, for christ’s sake!
Man U didn’t improve their scoring chances by giving a kid a chance did they?
They went out and bought RVP, a proven class player.
Of course, I’m not suggesting we spend like that (I wish), but the point is sometimes you get what you pay for and consistent peanuts usually gets you monkeys, imo.
Messi might join us on loan when he’s 80 and needs a few bob. That’s about the size if things at VP right now
and who has villa bought cheap and sold on at great profit? in recent memory that hasn’t asked to leave
We all know Benteke will be gone soon, at great profit, so he’ll be the first in what some of us are suggesting will be the new trend.
Unless of course, you think we’ll hold onto Benteke because we have him on a long term contract?
I don’t really see how what has happened before has to do with much.
Most of the old players were probably already overpaid and those that weren’t, well my understanding from memory is that we didn’t even try to compete and wouldn’t even go halfway on what the buying clubs were offering.
Mind you, the only other player I could see us selling at a great profit at the moment is Guzan.
The point is, if we can’t pay at least reasonably competitive wages, we will never have a chance of keeping any quality players.
We have around the seventh biggest turnover/income in the Prem
We were one of the top 20 clubs in Europe for the same reason, just a few seasons back.
I think quite a few of us forget that.
Not paying the wages at that same level is just selling the club short mate.
And that’s the only point that matters to me.
Good point badger. Interestingly on vital stoke they have run a poll on Ireland and 78% want him to get a contract at stoke. Has lamberk missed a trick here!!
And why do they ask to leave? Simple we don’t pay good wages and have fuck all ambition
I agree. Unless someone key (Guzan, Benteke, Vlaar, Bacuna) comes up with a season long injury, I would be surprised if we saw much movement this Jan. Unlike last winter, I also feel this season we at least have options in the event of minor injuries. Although the big question on my mind is N’Zogbia, when fit will he be given a chance to prove himself again? Or will Lambert allow him to leave on the cheap in hopes of bringing in someone new? Given – Hutton are another issue, but their own demands are the only thing holding him back from a transfer.
We won’t spend in jan as no need to we won’t get regarded now and Lerner will be more than happy with that. If we did get someone expect a loan like Dawkins Ffs. Though wouldn’t surprise me if we diks benteke even in jan
With the amount of injuries we have right now, I could definitely see Lambert considering loan deals this summer. I’d support it too. Lambert is a man with a plan and he knows what he is doing in the transfer market. This summer proved that, when we signed pretty much everyone in a few days, weeks. I’m just glad we didn’t buy Dawkins last winter – he didn’t take his chances and never made his mark.
As for Benteke, it’s pretty unclear what gentleman’s agreement was discussed and/or what changed his mind so quickly, but my stance on his transfer is still the same. He is still a Villa player and until we get that formal bid of 30M+ (or whatever the fee is) Benteke will continue to play for the club. Lambert is no fool. If anything, say someone does match our fee this Jan. I would be surprising if the club didn’t arrange for Benteke to finish out the season here on loan. That way Villa gets the money, Benteke guaranteed first team football, and the buying club an even more improved player for seasons to come. Realistically, I don’t see him leaving though.
Great so now we sell our best player then humiliating ask the nice big sky 4 club if they could lend him back to us till the end of the season and say pretty please in the process! No more loans unless it’s someone like a Barry who we could keep otherwise forget it. This club is a fuckin joke I’m sick of supporting a club that is constantly humiliated and happy with the scraps the sky 4 let us have. Lerner out!
You don’t support them….you only slag everyone at the club off……hardly supporting is it?
Whatever! I was a season ticket holder in the early 70s when we were in the old div 3 Ffs and there was more fucking optimism then then there is now !
Lol, you were a season ticket holder 40+ years ago……and your point is?
My point is I supported them boy and man even at our lowest point so to say in not a villa supporter makes u look stupid
And your clear lack of support blatantly shows you’re anti Villa. 🙂
It’s a no win situation, if we spend say 7million on one player and they don’t immediately hit the ground running Lambert gets slated for wasting it like he has with Kozak. Yet if we don’t spend 7-10 million on one player they still get slated for lacking ambition. Confused.com.
Rubbish a quality player will always come through it might not happen straight away but we know they will eventually. Let’s remember benteke is off either jan or summer and if bacuna continues with his free kicks he will be of to. We are a selling club
You mean like you said he was off last summer? If you predict he’ll leave in every transfer window, which is exactly what you do, I guess you’ll get it right eventually. 🙂 as for a quality player always coming through you don’t always need to spend 10 million to sign quality. Look at Benteke look at Bacuna look at how Vlaar has performed this season. It’s amazing what happens when you give people time and a chance, good to see the pennies finally starting to drop with you. 🙂
Vlaar cost nearly £7m so not that cheap. Benteke handed in a transfer request which you conveniently forgot about and would of gone if spurs had bid £25 m. The only other suiter was Chelsea but he knew he would be a bench player there where at villa he has no competition and will play regularly. He stayed because it was World Cup year he will be at another club next year unless he gets some sort of serious injury.
Vlaar cost nearly 7 million? What planet are you from? Yep Benteke did put in a transfer request…….he also signed a new contract not long after!!! Yes Vlaar was shit last season but like you’ve said in a previous post that I originally commented on a quality player will always come through…..Vlaar has been quality this season. You are the Master of contradicting yourself……….is your last name Bates? Master Bates…….defiantly suites you. 🙂
But benteke signed as he had no choice if it wansnt wc year he would be in strike
Ps vlaar was shit last season but has improved this year but he is still not a class player like a laurrsen or The Lord for example
Vlar cost 3mill not 7! At least get your facts right before you go slagging off players.
Still a waste of money
We don’t need to spend big in Jan we will be fine this seasonn imo, save the money for the summer that’s the time to spend big.
LOL
at the end of the last world cup i think i had fell out of love with football with its overpaid players showing no loyalty we had all our heroes seeking pastures new then we had Lamberts and Lerners vision of players playing because they want to, in order to show up these prima- donnas. nothing has changed we are still on target, no one has been sold yet everyone on here thinks they can see the future i suggest comment when that happens in the meantime take enjoyment in the fact that if Lambert can pull this off it will change the face of football
Feel people are taking this too literal. It could literally mean just about anything. 1. Lambert doesn’t think he needs to spend big. 2. We’re not going to spend Spurs-type money. 3. We’re not going to spend 20-30m on a player. It’s a brief comment on January transfers that could literally mean we have 1m to spend, 20m to spend on 2-3 players, or 5m to spend on 1, or none. It could be a “don’t get your hopes up” plea, It really all depends on what Lambert considers a “massive” signing. A 10m player isn’t a massive signing, 20m+ is, 15m maybe, but that’s simply down to Lambert’s, Lerner’s and Faulkner’s opinion on what is in fact massive money.
Andrew we will only sign a £10m player when benteke goes not before as they will want to appease the fans
I dunno, I can see it happening if they found a good enough young player worth that.
Spot on Andrew, we will not spend big money again full stop, Villa is again out in front putting a stop to stupid money taken from the fans and going to over rated player’s and agents. We don’t like the fact that we are finding it hard to compete with clubs who bought to buy the league. I can see that even now that big money in clubs like Spurs, Chelsea, and others is now waisted on some players, we just have to sit back and pick up players that get moved on and except our wages, next window will show who clubs want and who they don’t. IMO..
Lambert’s net spend is over £40m, and the club obviously committed to long term deals to reward Benteke, Lowton and Westwood in the Summer.
Not that many other Premiership clubs spend £20m every season, carry on like that and we’ll hopefully be back securely in the top ten and trying to move on from there.
Spurs get quoted by some of the neg heads on here as being a model to aspire to, and then the same people say that we’re a selling club and are a joke. How does that work ?
I can’t think of a player that we’ve actively sold, perhaps with the exception of Downing, the likes of Barry, Milner and Young made it clear that they wanted off and wouldn’t commit to the Villa.
The Dunnes and others were pretty crap for the wages they were on.
I really couldn’t be arsed to comment on this as it’s all getting a little Ground Hog dayish but I have to (and you might want to sit down Vaze) agree with Vaze, just who have we sold that didn’t want out the door? And to be fair to Lerner and Faulkner they’ve played real hard ball with all of the transfers. Come on we fleeced Liverpool and Man U with Downing and Young, got top Dollar for Barry and the only one you could say they got turned over on was Minler (cash + a dead weight, sorry I meant a makeweight).
Add to that it was made it was made pretty clear Benteke was going nowhere so just where does this “Selling Club” myth come from?
Benteke only stayed because it was World Cup year and wanted a regular spot. We all know he won’t be here next season.
That’s what you believe, that’s not actually factual.
The youngs etc wanted to go not just for money but because villa have the ambition of a water melon. I will bet you any money you like that we will ever be successful under Lerner I don’t care who the manager is.
The dumbest comments I’ve ever read come from you about our sales.
Now Aston Villa are what, 4th most successful English club, including European trophies? Young and Downing were sold, for 36m pounds, to the TWO, TWO, biggest clubs in England history, 2 of the biggest clubs in the world by some way bigger than any club in England. We didn’t sell to teams smaller than us like Spurs or Newcastle, on terms like Everton, smaller but richer clubs like Chelsea, or even bigger like Arsenal. Then we made another 26m + Ireland from the new rich club in town in Manchester City, who were buying players from bigger clubs than Villa, like Arsenal, Atletico and Valencia, even Porto or Shakhtar, Barcelona… We’ve sold 4 big names in the last what? 7-8-10 years? To two of the biggest clubs in the world and the new richest club in the world attracting players from far bigger clubs than Villa. No amount of your wannabe ass ambition is going to stop non-Villa fans, to moving to 2 huge clubs or moving to a club attracting better players for league title ambitions/CL winning ambitions.
Every stupid comment you claim about why we sell/sold is ALL opinionated, that which I just put is actual facts to back it up.
The reason Wev only sold 4 big names in ten years is because we only had 4 big names in ten years! Our 5th big name benteke wants to leave and he will leave even though he is in a 4 year deal. Yes we will get a decent price for him but so what it’s not like we will spend the money on building a good team. Anyone with half a brain can see we are a selling club as not only do we sell big names we never replace them. If we sold benteke and bought lukaka then fair enough but we are more likely to sell him and resign heskey!
So now to show we have ambition, we sell Benteke… And buy from Chelsea… Sounds genius. But we have no knowledge of what is going through Benteke’s head. Hell, Benteke wanted to join Arsenal before he joined us, and even said he wants to play for them as he grew up a fan, but then if we sold him to the team he supports, by god we show no ambition! And again, you’re making claims that we won’t spend, but the tide’s turned. We no longer need to balance the books and once the likes of Ireland, Bent, Ireland and Hutton are officially gone, and Villa pay 0% of their wages, then unlike when Villa had Dunne, Collins, the 4 above and a few others, Villa have a lot of room to maneuver.
Well we will see Andrew if lamberk spends on decent players after benteke goes then fair enough. But honestly can’t c it happening. In one way I don’t blame Lerner that is if you can’t finish top four then what’s the point in spending £50 m to finish 8th! If we can’t finish top 4 then basically from Lerners pov it dosnt matter where we finish as long as it’s not bottom 3.
That itself is debatable. You do get just under 800k per position in the table, so the difference between 17th and 8th is pretty big monetarily.
Ok suppose Lerner gets another £5m so what it’s irrelevant if it hosts him an extra £25 m or so to get it.
you no oohah you don’t deserve the gift of supporting the best club in the world
When we become the best club in the world then please let me know
Villa have always been a team to lead and do things differently from the rest. This is how it is now. Yes its a risk but progress is being made and will continue too.
Also, to say after a season Vlaar has improved yet after a very short time in this country, Kozak and Tonev are not going to be good enough is just plain hypocritical. They’re young, in a new league(a way more difficult one) and country and will need time. Any human being would. Some people really are negatives just to argue and get attention. Sad really.
Yep we do do things differently when so called lower teams are spending money and showing ambition we are doing the opposite spending fuck all and showing no ambition ffs
You really are a hypocrite aren’t you? First Vlaar’s not good enough, now he’s doing alright now he’s had time to settle. Yet Kozak and Tonev will never be good enough even though they’ve been here for a very short amount of time. Then you complain about the sky/bt money ruining the game and the top table teams buying there way to the title yet its no ambition if Villa don’t do it. How the hell can they ever impress you.
You seem to want to us not to buy success by spending over the odds on players while expecting immediate success from new players while it will take time for them to adapt. Ins very confusing. You’ll always find something to moan about. I really pity you. To be that moody and negative all the time must mean you have no time in your life for joy or happiness. How very sad.
Well either that or your just an attention seeker who needs his ego stroking.
I’m not the only one in here that dosnt rate tonev and kozac. Your in the minority. Even though I hate sky money etc unfortunately spending zillions of pounds is the only way to succeed nowadays. Which us why we will never succeed again
Really, I see you have 2 maybe 3 others saying what your saying. Of the other Villa fans, out here in the real world, that I speak too completely disagree with you. Everyone I know understands that this project is going to take time and progress is clearly being made. Bit of an ego to think you are the majority.
I’d bet if you ran a poll between either Spending millions and millions for a small chance of immediate success or the sustainable continued improvement we currently have I feel you will be proved wrong.
“The problem with the close minded is that there mouths are always open”
At the end of the day we are on 14 points sitting mid table which was the target for this season.This is an improvement and all the huffing and puffing is just bullshit.As for transfers as long as we do a bit of business and bring a couple in I’m ok width that.Who’s to say if we finish mid table this season which will be an improvement that we can’t finish higher next season…UTV
Well said mate, I’m beginning to become a little more optimistic again when I put things into perspective. We’re ticking along nicely at the moment and there are improvements and declines both in areas of our game but on the whole, points wise, not footballing, we’re doing better so I can’t complain.
I think a fully fit and in form Zoggy will possibly fill the missing pice for now until the summer.
If we had lost against Cardiff who are certainties to be one of the bottom 4-5 I would have been furios but we pulled out the result we needed. UTV
That’s quite true, most on here were quite okay seeing Villa mid-table showing improvement for this season. Although the play is far from an improvement, the positioning and even comfort level is there. Although it is easier to be happy seeing Villa 8th-12th or so after last season, but then you get to the games and you see how poor Villa’s play is and it makes you wonder, if Lambert would change the style back to Villa playing football, how much better could Villa really be? In my opinion, a lot, and that’s a very good reason to be quite unhappy, as Villa aren’t playing to their potential, despite the “lack of maturity and a young age”.
Agreed mate, that, for me at least, is the most frustrating and strangest thing of all. We’re better points wise against harder teams with worse footy? go figure that one out! If we we’re playing like we did from Jan-May last year we’d be a lot higher I’m sure of it. That’s what I’m most annoyed at.
The thing is, when we were playing arguably better football towards the end of last season, a lot got on there backs for ‘passing backwards” or “no showing ambition trying to get forward”.
Lambert really can’t win whatever he does.
Benteke cost 7m and I dont remember anyone complaining then!
The thing with Kozak that annoys me is we didnt need another centre forward. Regardless of whether he ever justifies the price tag, that money should have been spent on a midfielder, especially in light of PL’s latest comments.
Why? Bowery was 2nd choice… Bowery’s not near good enough, and Benteke got injured. Would you really wanna see Bowery up front as a starter?
Oh, there was many complaints- Not so much about his fee, but mainly comments about not knowing him and how he could be better than Bent, a proven EPL striker.
I agree, I would have preferred another midfielder, but if Kozak continues to score goals I will soon forget all about that. My assumption is Lambert probably realized both Bowery and Helenius are still not ready to make waves in the league and sprung for Kozak to be safe? Although this is all speculation.
Fascinating thing is is that Helenius was proving himself time and time again before his move to Villa, as did Bacuna. Tonev proved himself internationally, yet Helenius doesn’t get the game time he should to even prove himself. Plus he still said he wants to play with Benteke, not as his replacement when injured/tired, and now Kozak gets that chance (though has done quite well for himself) and Helenius is again shafted. Then come to subs, Bowery comes on and Helenius, proven goal scorer and even though didn’t play, called up to the National team, still gets shafted.
Andrew, have you even considered that Helinius even making that comment, might be the reason that he’s not getting a game?
I’m not saying that’s definitely the case, but it really wouldn’t surprise me.
I’ve previously said that my guess is Lambert has favourites.
It figures that he has players he doesn’t like too.
It’s one of the reasons I believe N’zog will never kick a ball for us again, regardless of any bullshit we hear.
Jelle Vossen is in the news again as from a previous post as well.I think he might be another signing.Also AVFC following Swedish Malmo defender Pontus Jansson…
There’s also Ivan Mykhaylovych Bobko who a facebook page claims we’re linked too. 22 year old Ukrainian player, linked with the bigger clubs of Ukraine as well.
Jansson would be welcome with open arms. Okore/Jansson, what a paring, with Vlaar and Clarke back-up. There’s good quality depth for you. But then again, the form Vlaar and Clarke are showing it’s be hard to argue against keeping them in the side.
Not sure about this vossen bloke. Even considering the departure of Benteke. Kozak/Helenius/Weimann/Gabby/Bowery? Top heavy much
it wouldn’t surprise me if someone tries to come in for tekkers in jan, once more even though he pulled his transfer request and signed a new contract he’s constantly being linked with basically every CL club in Europe.
but it wouldn’t surprise me to see a club come and try again in jan even if its just to appease fans, spurs fans patience is already wearing thin with soldano and after rvp and rooney who have man utd got up front? same with arsenal, after giroud theres podolski, he wouldn’t even get into our starting line up.
that said tekkers need to up his game, the injury for me hasn’t done him any favors he does look just a tad off the pace at the moment, hopefully the international break will help us with our growing injury list.
No chance, you think Lerner, Faulkner or PL will let him go before he’s showcased himself in the world cup potentially putting an extra third on the price? No way.
That plus the fact with the world cup coming up they have Tekkers by the proverbial bollox, goes on strike (see Tekkers at Genk) = world cup place.
Performs, get dropped = no world cup place.
They have nothing to gain by selling him in Jan, not in clubs interest from a playing or financial point of view,so if it happens I’ll eat my hat.
Of all the star names we have lost to the big boys in recent years, which have gone on to become better footballers? Some might have medals thanks to playing in multimillion pound teams but who has become a better player? Cahill, probably. But nobody else.
Young is better when he’s not diving but hard to judge properly as always injured.
Barry’s definitely gone up a level so has Milner. Downing was shit at Liverpool but has improved at west ham.
Young had his best days at VP (big fish little pond) and looks way out of his depth at Old Trafford.
Sit down Billy, agreed lol !
That was always symptomatic of most Man U signings in the 80’s.
Young better now by what criteria? Left Villa PFA Young Player of the year, in the PFA team of the year, missing a handful of games in 4 and a half years. England regular heading to the world cup. Now? Reputation as a diver and a cheat, injury prone and no goals scored for 18 months.
Downing? 6 games for WHU no goals, no assists. A whole year of that at Liverpool. More chance of my nan being on the plane to Brazil.
I’d have Barry and Milner back and in the Villa team no problem, but no way are any of the 4 playing better than when we sold them for nearly £80M
Disagree young in his first season when he played with utd had gone up a level, downing I agree but to be fair he’s given zillions of assists but no one put them away. Barry looks like he’s gone up a level he was different class for Everton when they played us and Milner iv not seen enough if to form an opinion though I never rated him anyway. Little quality but worked incredibly hard.
Let’s clarify. None of the players we have brought in under Lambert have been “massive” signings. When he says “massive” he means at least £10 million. Lambert is no more restricted now than he has been before.
Having said that, we spent most of the £20 million or so budget in the summer, just like he did last year. There won’t be much left for January, that is all we can afford right now.
When we shift the bomb squad, that will give us more cash to spend. When Benteke leaves, that will give us more cash to spend. Until then I assume the activity will be minimal.