Watching the Champions League Final? at Fanatix.com

Aston Villa have released ten players including stars Nigel Reo-Coker, John Carew and Robert Pires.

The Villa Park chiefs have instigated the exodus after a disappointing season which saw them fighting off relegation for much of the campaign.

They are expected to freshen up the squad for next year with a big emphasis on youth and reducing the wage bill to make the club sustainable.

Carew and Reo-Coker both were signed by former manager Martin O’Neill but enjoyed different success at the club.

The tall Norwegian was a pivotal figure in the club under O’Neill, who secured successive top six finishes but was sent on-loan this season to Stoke City.

Reo-Coker had the opposite career. He had an infamous training ground bust-up with O’Neill but has established himself in the midfield under Houllier.

Pires’ exit appeared inevitable after accusing the club this week of lacking respect, following a frustrating spell with the club stretching back to November when he joined on a free transfer.

Squad players Moustapha Salifou and Isaiah Osbourne will also be leaving Villa Park along with youngsters Harry Forrester, Arsenio Halfhuid, Durrell Berry, Ellis Deeney and Calum Flanagan.

They are not the only departures expected from Villa Park this summer.

Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and Brad Friedel have all been strongly linked with moves away from the club.

Join the Best Football Manager game now, Its Free!

Stoke City tickets available from Tixdaq.com

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis wants to make On-loan striker John Carew a Permanent deal in the Summer.

The 31-year-old former Valencia front-man, who scored his first Potters goal in the dramatic 3-2 victory over Sunderland, is On-loan from Aston Villa until the end of the season.

“John’s been fantastic,” Pulis said. “The lads love him. He has a great sense of humour and is very laid back with it.

“His presence will help and he’s got great experience. People say he’s just a big fella, he can only head it, but he’s got great technique. A couple of things he’s done has left defenders for dead.”

Carew had a difference of opinion with Villa manager, Gerard Houllier, and was quickly loaned out. With his Villa contract ending in the Summer the Norwegian hitman will be a free agent.

The only hinderance to any deal is Carew’s wages, reportedly £52,500 per week, which breaks Stoke’s wage structure.

Bet on Stoke City with Sportingbet.com and get a free bet worth up to £50

Watch Fulham v Stoke live streaming with GetSport.tv

Aston Villa striker John Carew looks set to join fellow Premier League side Stoke City, after the Norwegian passed a medical at the Potteries outfit. The arrival of new striker Darren Bent looks to have paved the way for Carew’s departure from Villa Park and Stoke have moved quickly to bolster their forward line ahead of the Premiership run-in.

Carew is out of contract at the end of the season and despite the interest of West Brom manager Roberto di Matteo, it seems Stoke boss Tony Pulis is in the hotseat to sign the 31 year old on a loan deal until the end of the current season.

Since his 2007 move to Villa Park from French colossus Lyon, Carew has scored 35 goals in 113 appearances for Villa and holds a whole host of Champions League and international experience, representing his country Norway 86 times.

Stoke assistant manager David Kemp said: ‘He is a quality player and we would be interested in a player of that ilk. He is a very experienced, top-level Premier League striker and he would bring much to the team so we would like to sign him.’

If the proposed move goes ahead, Stoke manager Tony Pulis will then have five strikers pushing for the starting spot at the Britannia including two goal hero from the FA Cup victory Jonathan Walters and the similar type player to Carew in Kenywne Jones.

Join the Best Football Manager game now, Its Free!

Bet on Aston Villa with Sportingbet.com and get a free bet worth up to £50

Watch Birmingham v Aston Villa live streaming with GetSport.tv

After months of chasing, a fee between Aston Villa and Lyon, has finally been agreed for Houllier’s number 1 target Jean Makoun.

The ball is now in Makoun’s court as contract talks commence between himself , Houllier and the Aston Villa board.

Lyon’s official website reveals the current status of the talks, “The progress of the talks are still subject to the player’s agreement,”

After flying out to france yesterday Houllier will spend a hectic 48 hours, attempting to strike a deal before jetting back for the big Midlands derby on sunday.

Houllier revealed his admiration for the player. “He could be a good asset for us because he is experienced, he has played Champions League with Lille and Lyon and he is exactly what we need at times”.

In an attempt to further bolster his squad before the window slams shut on the 1st of February, Houllier has identified Charlie Adam as a possible target. But furthermore indicates a striker could be on the cards.

“If you say: ‘Are you looking for a striker?’ I would say if the opportunity is there, yes, but you don’t find them easily.

With several possible arrivals seemingly imminent, players heading for the exit at Villa is also a strong possibility, yet Emile Heskey’s red card could have given John Carew the chance to revive his Villa career.

“It depends on what is going to happen but I think John will stay for the moment.”

Join the Best Football Manager game now, Its Free!

Bet on Aston Villa with Sportingbet.com and get a free bet worth up to £50

Aston Villa Tickets Available from Telegraph Tickets

Grit, determination, a never say die spirit were all common attributes in Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa. However since Gerard Houllier took over shortly into the season things have changed dramatically, as Villa huff and puff towards the new year they have picked up a measly 3 points out of 18, with a worrying -8 goal difference.

Before the season had even started arguably the two most influential figures at Aston Villa, Martin O’Neill and James Milner both departed which would obviously have a negative effect on the club, but six months down the line it’s unacceptable for the club and team to look towards this to place the blame.

Earlier in the year injury’s looked to be at fault for Houllier’s apprehensive start, with key plays such as Stiliyan Petrov, Nigel Reo-Coker, Gabriel Agbonlahor and John Carew all having spells on the side lines. Yet these players and more are now off the injury table and back full time training and the bad results mixed with poor performances continue to flow in.

So could it be down to the manager? Reports of training ground bust ups, arguments in the press and the seemingly unjustified disposal of key players such as target man John Carew, defensive colossus Richard Dunne both of whom were part of the spine of Aston Villa last term and even newcomer Stephen Ireland, will have done little to boost moral around Villa Park.

One thing that is evident is the lack of togetherness on the pitch, Villa simply lack the ability to string together a series of passes, willing runners into space seem increasingly hard to come by and possibly the most worrying aspect is the complete lack of fighting spirit within the team.

Only time will tell if the clubs blind faith in the newly appointed manager is a wise move or a catastrophic moment in the proud history of one of England’s footballing founders. With the January window approaching the Chairman, Randy Lerner watches on as Houllier dismantles the team which gained top 6 finishes three time running and sets about building his own team.

Join the Best Football Manager game now, Its Free!

Aston Villa v Tottenham tickets available from Telegraph Tickets

Bet on any team with Sportingbet.com and get a free bet worth up to £50

Brad Friedel is in line for a shock January exit from Aston Villa after after his contract talks were put on hold.

US shot-stopper Friedel, 39, is one of Villa’s big earners on over £40,000-a-week after joining from Blackburn in July 2008.

Now with his contract up in the summer, new boss Gerard Houllier is willing to let him go.

Friedel has made nearly 250 consecutive Premier League appearances.

Villa have since given Friedel’s name to agents to drum up interest in the veteran, who lives in Cheshire.

Villa owner Randy Lerner is determined to cut the club’s £70million wage bill.

Mirrorsport revealed on October 14 that Curtis Davies was going on loan to Leicester and on October 29 that John Carew, who earns £52,500-a-week, can leave.

Now Friedel and defender Habib Beye, who earns £40,000-a-week, are also available and flop Stephen Ireland may leave too.

Villa scouts have looked at Rangers keeper Allan McGregor, 28, as a possible replacement for Friedel. (Daily Mirror)

Out of all the names listed by the Daily Mirror for the prospective Aston Villa clear out, one stands out.

Brad Friedel has shown no sign of losing his remarkable reflexes since joining Aston Villa, and it would be a shame if the Premier League lost one of its most consistently brilliant performers.

The American is most likely to return home to the MLS if he does depart Villa Park, but given Arsenal’s recent interest in Mark Schwarzer, they could do a lot worse than to swoop for Brad Friedel now Schwarzer has committed to Craven Cottage.

Stephen Ireland, Habib Beye, Curtis Davies and John Carew are all replaceable, but the United States veteran in goal would be a very tough act to follow.

Aston Villa v Tottenham tickets available from Telegraph Tickets

Bet on Aston Villa with Sportingbet.com and get a free bet worth up to £50

Aston Villa want to buy Robbie Keane from Tottenham to help provide a cutting edge to their attack, but are reluctant to meet Spurs’ demands for the player.

Keane looks likely to leave White Hart Lane in January after finding himself frozen out – behind Roman Pavlyuchenko, Jermain Defoe, and Peter Crouch in the pecking order for just one spot up front.

Villa manager Gerard Houllier has said he will not be making a bid for Manchester United striker Michael Owen.– despite the player being a good fit for his playing style.

Keane now looks to have leapt to the top of the Frenchman’s list, having proved at Celtic last season that he is capable of slotting into a new team quickly.

Villa are reluctant to part with pacey England man Ashley Young in exchange – despite Spurs’ desire to take the former Watford star to north London.

However, a bid in the region of £8million may be accepted by manager Harry Redknapp as it will give him further funds to add to his squad during the month-long transfer window. (Metro)

Aston Villa are in a bit of a slump in the Premier League under Gerard Houllier with just one win in their last nine games, but it is quite easy to see the corner being turned soon.

Not only have they consistently played better than the opposition they have been dropping points to, but they also have some exceptionally promising youngsters coming through the ranks.

Marc Albrighton, Ciaran Clark, Barry Bannan, and Nathan Delfouneso are all being given first team opportunities – and are taking them, even if this is to be a season of transition.

However, for a few seasons now, Villa have been short of a top class goalscorer.

Robbie Keane is not the confident player he was two seasons ago, but at the age of 30 his legs still function and his football brain is a more valuable asset than his pace.

With John Carew seemingly set to depart the club after contract negotiations stalled, Villa’s frontline needs an overhaul.

Keane could be the first part of that, and a cut price move in January to resurrect Aston Villa’s season could be given the go-ahead by chairman Randy Lerner.

Join the Best Football Manager game now! It’s Free!

Aston Villa tickets available from Telegraph Tickets

Bet on Aston Villa with Sportingbet.com and get a free bet worth up to £50

Liverpool are rumoured to be making a bid for giant Aston Villa striker John Carew in January.

The Norway international has had a poor relationship with Villa Park boss Gerard Houllier since his days at Lyon, and a recent spat between the two in back and forth media interviews has not aided their relationship.

Carew’s future at Villa Park now looks bleak, and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, the player will be free to talk to clubs from January.

The 6’5″ Norwegian’s agent Per Arne Flod said, “Every day I receive calls from clubs all over Europe interested in Carew but there are no concrete offers on the table.”

In January there is not likely to be a shortage of offers, and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is believed to want Carew as a plan B for the club should Fernando Torres be injured, and as an impact player from the bench.

Hodgson turned Bobby Zamora into a striker feared across Europe in Fulham’s Europa League campaign last season, and Liverpool fans will hope for more of the same.

NESV are likely to relax their policy of only acquiring young players with resale potential with Carew soon available on a free, and while he would not be the permanent strike partner for Fernando Torres that Liverpool fans want, he could still be a decent option when chasing a game.

Join the Best Football Manager game now! It’s Free!

Place any bet your like and get £25 worth of free bets!>

Aston Villa Tickets Available from Tixdaq.com

Aston Villa striker John Carew could be offered a way out of Villa Park after reports that Sampdoria are already in talks with his agent about a January move.
Carew’s future is in doubt following reports of a fall out with new Villa manager Gerard Houllier after being told he needed to prove he was worthy of a new contract.
The striker told a Norwegian newspaper: “I don’t know if he has a problem with me but if he does then he should talk to me about it. It requires mutual respect. I am puzzled and offended.
“He should have been here a little longer before he started making demands.”
The interview didn’t go down well with Houllier who responded by saying Carew was “stupid” and advised him to stop “living in the past”.
The pair are set for clear-the-air talks but now it seems the Norwegian international already has an escape route.
The Italian press says negotiations between Serie A giants Sampdoria and the player’s agent have already started with the possiblity of a meeting in Birmingham next week.
Fiorentina could also be interested. (TalkSPORT)

It seems that the close relationship many believed Gerard Houllier had with Norwegian striker John Carew was either non-existent or has been dealt a hefty blow in recent weeks. The two had worked together at Lyon and many had believed that the Frenchman’s arrival at Villa Park would result in the 31 year old striker having a good chance at getting regular first team football but this has not proved to be the case.

The experienced powerfully built front man is something of a cult hero at the club but has started just one Premier League game since Houllier took over and it looks as though a move to Italy is on the cards, which will be a big lossfor the Midlands club as Carew has managed a very commendable 52 goals in 103 starts for Aston Villa in all competitions.

Join the Best Football Manager game now, Its Free!

Bet on Real Madrid to win the Champions League Join Betfair and get £25 free!

Aston Villa Tickets Available from Tixdaq.com

Gerard Houllier has three months to decide if Aston Villa will write off £16million worth of talent.

Ex-Liverpool manager Houllier,63, has enjoyed successive victories on his return to the Premier League with Villa.

But he faces an early headache with Nigel Reo-Coker, Steve Sidwell and John Carew all out-of-contract next summer.

Villa paid West Ham £7.5m for midfielder Reo-Coker in July 2007, Chelsea £5m for Sidwell in July 2008 and got striker Carew from Lyon in a swap deal worth £3.5m.

But the trio will all be eligible to speak to foreign clubs in January about moving overseas on a Bosman.

Houllier’s predecessor Martin O’Neill transfer-listed both Reo-Coker,26, and 27-year-old Sidwell.

But both midfielders featured in Villa’s win at Wolves in the top-flight on Sunday.

While Norwegian forward Carew, 31, is a fans’ favourite after scoring 52 goals in 127 games since Houllier offloaded him from Lyon in January 2007.

Now Houllier must act fast if he wants to keep the men, who will not be short of offers from Premier League rivals.

Their exit would also ease Villa’s huge £70m annual wage bill as all three earn around £50,000-a-week.

But if Villa decide to cash in they can expect only nominal fees with so little left on their contracts.

Villa accepted just £650,000 from West Brom this summer as a down-payment for Nicky Shorey as he was out of contract in 2011. (Mirror Football)

With all three players out of contract next summer, Houllier does not have long to make a decision on whether he will keep them at Aston Villa. If he is to decide that they are surplus to requirements, then perhaps selling them during the January transfer window would be the best option.

Houllier is likely to want to make the Aston Villa squad his own, and will not hesitate to make wholesale changes as has been seen at his previous clubs.