It has been reported today that Wigan have rebuffed a bid from Villa for star man Charles N’Zogbia, while it remains to be seen as to whether the club are willing to give in to Dave Whelan’s demands.
The Wigan chairman is resigned to losing his influential winger whose contract runs out next year but is believed to be holding put for a fee in excess of £10m for the Frenchman. It seems that Villa had been told earlier in the summer that a bid of £9m would be enough to do business with the Latics and now Lerner and McLeish are reluctant to up their offer.
With a deal for the tricky wide man being far from assured even if a bid is accepted, the club may well be ready to let Wigan run the risk of losing the 25-year-old for an even cheaper fee or potentially free come the end of next year with other speculated suitors dropping out of the race due to Whelan’s demands. Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has already conceded defeat in claiming that his price tag is too high whereas Everton are known to have limited resources and would almost certainly need to sell in order to buy.
If Wigan remain resolute over an asking price of over £10m, Villa are reportedly willing to take the profits from the sale of Stewart Downing elsewhere, with Spartak Moscow’s Aiden McGeady believed to be McLeish’s second choice replacement for the last season’s Player of the Year. The Irishman would add to a strong contingent from across the pond and is rumoured to be unsettled in the Russian capital having only moved from Celtic last year. The 25-year-old can play across the midfield and would add versatility in attack to Villa’s depleted squad. In 21 league games for Moscow thus far McGeady has netted 3 times and set up a further 7.
He could join fellow countryman Shay Given at the club whose confirmed signature is expected in the next few hours, while links to Fiorentna’s Juan Manuel Vargas have spread in recent days but are believed to have little substance.
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