Paul Lambert continues to exercise his control over the club with today’s announcement that players wanting a pay day bonanza that those days are over at Villa Park.
After a period where Villa have earned something of an unwanted reputation for paying more and getting loss, Lambert’s stance is a key piece of evidence to show that Randy Lerner is going to be sensible rather than silly with the club’s finances.
Some may think such a move is a way to go backwards, as though Villa must continue to spend in a financial war of attrition against much bigger clubs and far richer owners.
With Villa also in the market for free “Bosman” transfers, it is no surprise that agents have looked at the club as a way to get a pay day for their clients, with free transfers regularly looking for lucrative signing bonuses.
However, Lambert has been quick to tell players looking for an easy pay day, or agents asking for “ridiculous money” to negotiate on behalf of their clients that they must look elsewhere.
On transfers Lambert said: “The phone’s been going mad, all the time. It’s a bit of a pain, but I just don’t answer it sometimes!
“You get people on to you all the time and then you find out they want ridiculous money before they will even talk to you, but that’s the nature of the game.
“I don’t think you get enjoyment from that part of the game, it’s frustrating.
“You think something’s going to get done and then it doesn’t and then it’s back on again and then it isn’t.
“It can go like that when people are being greedy.”
Want to join the conversation? Comment on our latest piece on Villa’s choice of transfers and whether there is a space for higher priced players in Paul Lambert’s revolution by clicking the following link – http://www.astonvillalife.com/blog/transfer-speculation-the-latest-links-and-pauls-plan
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