James Milner moved closer to joining Manchester City last night
after declaring he was uncertain of his future at Aston Villa and
driven by a desire to win trophies.
On a day when Villa rejected a £20million bid for Milner from
big-spending City, the 24-year-old declined the invitation to
commit his future to his current club.
Asked if he would still be a Villa player next season, he said:
‘I don’t know.’ He then gave further encouragement to City —
believed to be preparing an increased offer — when he said his
chief ambition was to end his career with a room full of
silverware.
Eyes on the ball: Milner training in Austria with
the rest of the England squad
‘That’s what I’m in football to do,’ he said. ‘To win trophies.
That’s my No 1 aim for club and country. When I finish my career, I
want to be able to go into my trophy room and see winner’s medals.
I want to be as successful as I can be. We came close twice with
Villa this season.’
Villa are willing to bring forward talks with Milner over a
potential new contract, in a bid to ward off City’s interest. Owner
Randy Lerner insisted only last week that the club would wait until
after the World Cup in South Africa before opening
negotiations.
City target: Villa turned down a £20m bid for James
Milner on Wednesday evening
But now they are prepared to speak to the midfielder before he
jets off with England.
Villa have a two-day window of opportunity after England’s
friendly in Graz against Japan on May 30 in which to discuss an
improved deal.
However, speaking at England’s training camp in Austria, Milner
said the situation might not be resolved until after the World
Cup.
Race against time: Milner could fill Barry's boots
if the midfielder doesn't recover in time for the World
Cup
‘I was concentrating on Villa and I am now concentrating on
England,’ he said. ‘I’m here to stake as good a claim as I can to
get on the plane to the World Cup.
‘When I finished the season at Villa, I said we’d discuss it
after the World Cup. I have enjoyed my time at Villa. It’s a great
club to be at. We are moving forward in the right direction. We’ve
had a good season. We finished with a higher points total than last
year in the League.’
City midfielder Gareth Barry, meanwhile, insists treatment on
his ankle is going well and he is hopeful of making the cut for
South Africa.
Barry said: ‘I’ve been having regular sessions with the medical
staff at Carrington and they are pleased with how things are
going.
‘I’m feeling positive still and the medical staff are being
brilliant — they are doing everything they can to help me.’