Aston Villa are doing some fabulous business this window. They secured a deal for Boubacar Kamara from Marseille on a free, while highly-rated CB Diego Carlos will join them too. Now they can add another player to their ranks. Perhaps an older, familiar figure: James Milner.
James Milner has a history at Villa Park. The midfielder was loaned to Villa park as a teenager in 2005 from Newcastle. Although that season was underwhelming for the Villains, Milner impressed during his time there. He returned to his parent club Newcastle, but eventually joined Villa permanently on 29 August 2008. This was the time when he moved to central midfield. He left Villa Park for Manchester City in 2010 and won 2 league titles with them. After his spell at the Etihad, he left for rivals Liverpool in 2015 on a free transfer.
He has remained at Merseyside since. His tenure has coincided with Liverpool’s most successful period in this era. Milner has won a Premier League and Champions League under Klopp, as well as two domestic cups. He has played 289 times for the Reds, registering 70 goal contributions.
Now he may join another Liverpool legend. Steven Gerrard is now the manager of Aston Villa and appreciates his ability and longevity. There were suggestions made about the England international joining Gerrard at Villa Park, and we may see it next season.
The Villa owners are in the market for a short-term solution in the park. The veteran with his experience can be a great addition in this case. He adds some much-needed calmness and wisdom in the dressing room. Villa’s young talents like Jacob Ramsey and Kamara can too learn a lot from the 61-cap England international.
Milner to Villa: Smart Signing?
In a nutshell, the prospect of Milner joining Villa seems like a reasonable one. It is a low-risk signing without any potential down signs. His ability aside, it will also be an emotional reunion for Milner to return to the place where he made a name for himself.
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