Man City to make final £25m bid for Milner - Exclusive
Published 23:00 05/06/10 By Simon Mullock
Manchester City will make a take-it-or-leave-it £25million bid for Aston Villa’s James Milner after the World Cup.
City, who had a £20m offer for the midfielder rejected before England flew out to South Africa, will test the Midlands club’s resolve again when the tournament ends.
But City’s football administrator Brian Marwood is unlikely to go higher if Villa show more reluctance to do business.
Boss Roberto Mancini wants to add Milner’s energy and ability to play in a number of positions.
But City’s Abu Dhabi backers are refusing to be held to ransom over transfer fees and wages after running into a storm of criticism with their spending spree last summer.
A City insider said: “It’s been a frustrating time, but the owner, chairman and chief executive are adamant that they will not pay over-inflated prices.”
“The fact we aren’t in the Champions League has had a huge affect on plans, but so to has the determination to get good value.”
Meanwhile, Jermone Boateng yesterday agreed to join City in a £11m, five-year deal from Hamburg.
