Villa hold talks with Milner
Aston Villa have confirmed that the club have held talks with key midfield player, James Milner.
It is thought that Milner has expressed a desire to move away from the club and join another team playing in Europe and the Champions League. However, Villa have said all along that they will do their best to keep the most important players at the club.
Milner's form over recent months has been very good and he did as well as anyone else at the World Cup in a poor England side. This has raised his profile and a number of clubs are thought to be sniffing around him and waiting to try and sign him.
Villa manager Martin O'Neill is one of the best known managers in the game for getting players to stay at the club he's in charge of. However, there is going to be more pressure than ever before on Villa to break into the top six by the end of the Premier League season.
Quality
Milner has really advanced in terms of the quality that he possesses. Everyone in the game has always known that he is a very good player but the problem is he has never been able to find the consistency that would take him on to the next level.
It was clear from the World Cup that he is viewed as a very versatile and solid midfield player. He does not have a great deal of pace and both his club and country use him in specific areas and ways to make sure that he produces his best.
He's very good on the dead ball and Villa must fight hard to keep him for this reason alone. Players who can take quality free kicks and penalties will always score a few goals over the course of the season and this could be the difference between the side finishing seventh or finishing sixth.
A Villa statement said: "James Milner trained with the rest of the Villa squad (Monday) at Bodymoor Heath. He and the manager along with the chief executive Paul Faulkner and the player's representative Matthew Buck had an amicable conversation."
Pressure
If both parties have now sat down and it has been agreed that Milner will stay put then there is going to be a lot of pressure on the club. This will be because of the fact that Milner wants to play European football. It may be a stipulation that he has already voiced or will voice in the near future.
The best players in Europe and the world all want to play in the biggest competitions. This is because of the publicity and opportunities that playing in competitions like the Champions League can offer. There are other clubs that Milner could join who already offer this.
The statement added: "While James will not play in (Tuesday's game) against Walsall he will fly with the squad to Portugal on Wednesday ahead of the Guadiana Cup, in which Villa will compete with Benfica and Feyenoord this weekend."
Advice
Aston Villa stand a much better chance of making the top six if Milner stays at the club. This is because he is one of their best players and will have a big impact over the course of the season.
You can always back him to net a few goals regardless of the club he's playing at. This is because he takes penalties and free kicks very well but also possesses the skill and awareness to get in to the more advanced areas of the pitch.
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