City to test Aston Villa’s resolve with bid of over £20 million for midfielder

Aston Villa rejected a bid for England international midfielder James Milner last month of £20 million, but that hasn’t deterred the Citizens, who are believed to be preparing a new, improved offer for the 24-year-old, believed to be nearer to Villa’s £30 million valuation of the English Premier League’s Young Player of the Season for 2010.

The news has seen SkyBet cut Milner’s odds of moving to Eastlands from 4/9 down to 2/5, and it now looks like a matter of when rather than if the player will leave Villa Park.

There is also reportedly interest from Chelsea and Manchester United in the former Leeds and Newcastle player, who is currently in South Africa with England preparing for the World Cup.

Sky Bet’s football betting spokesman Tim Reynolds told Bettingpro:

"Martin O’Neill will not want to lose one of his most prized assets but if the money is right Villa may have difficulty keeping hold of their midfielder.

"We’ve laid Milner to join both Manchester City and Chelsea so we’re hoping that the England international stays loyal to Villa."

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