Aston Villa midfielder James Milner is finally on the verge of completing his big-money move to Manchester City. The 24-year-old England international has undergone a medical at Eastlands, and it’s only a matter of time before the deal is officially completed.
After extensive negotiations and many bumps in the road, Villa and City agreed a fee of £16m, and the deal will also include City midfielder Stephen Ireland, who’s rated at £8m.
Last night, the unsettled Milner issued a warning that he would stay at Villa if the deal didn’t go through within the next 24 hours, and that ultimatum looks to have done the trick, as the deal is now near completion.
Milner played his final game for Villa on Saturday, and his time at Villa Park ended on a high note, as he signed off in style by scoring the final goal in Villa’s 3-0 win over West Ham. Over two spells at Villa, Milner made more than 120 appearances, scoring 21 goals.
Ireland made his senior debut for City in the 2005/06 season, and in five seasons, he made nearly 175 appearances for the club in all competitions, notching 24 goals. After an excellent 2008/09 campaign, he made only 16 Premier League starts last season and featured little after the arrival of Roberto Mancini.
Milner is City’s fifth big-money signing of the summer, following Jerome Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure, and recent arrival Mario Balotelli, while Ireland is Villa’s first new face this summer.
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