The 7500 staff have been trying to figure out the best way possible to keep you informed of all the rumors swirling around Villa during the transfer window. We've decided that we'll keep doing major stories as they come across, but will do a nightly wrap-up post of anything we missed. Hopefully you can use this as a post to discuss the day in rumors, or as a quick read with your morning cup of coffee.
With the Jean Makoun deal on hold for the time being, most Villans are waiting with bated breath to see what's going to happen next, and today's slate of rumors was pretty empty as a result. Sky Sports seems to have kept the Villa beat alive almost entirely by themselves today. They bring us the report that Villa are adamantly denying even having made a bid for Peterborough keeper Joe Lewis. I'm not sure I buy what our front office is selling here. Why wouldn't they have at least looked into someone? With Brad Guzan out on loan, and rumors popping up every now and again about Brad Friedel, it would make sense for Aston Villa to be searching for a young, promising keeper. I imagine this is a case of "whoops, we lowballed and don't want to admit to it."
And after I wrote yesterday about being dubious at the possibility of getting Hugo Rodallega and Maynor Figueroa from Wigan Athletic, it seems that Sky wants to make me even less confident in that rumor. Roberto Martinez appears to be rather intent on keeping two of his stand-out players, and you can't really blame them. Wigan are a club destined to be locked in a relegation battle, and it would do them no good to lose two of their best. That said, if Villa come calling with enough money, one has to imagine that he'd be forced to sell as a means of stockpiling some money in case the worst should happen to the Latics.
In reserve-team news that hardly bears mentioning, the BBC tells us that Shane Lowry's been sent off on a loan to Sheffield United until the end of the season. I suppose it'll be good for him to get some development on someone's first team somewhere, but I'm loathe to see some of our players get removed from maybe the best development system in the EPL. That said, this isn't a move any of us should be worried about at all.
Finally, in more of the "GET ON WITH IT" variety of news, Sky reports that Villa are hopeful to have Jean Makoun here in time for the derby this weekend. I'll believe it when I see it, but heaven's knows it'd be helpful in silencing those pesky Scum.