A few stories floating around tonight, nothing seems too firm, but some of it is worth noting. After early rumors that Aston Villa were in the hunt for Birmingham City midfielder Sebastian Larsson, it appears that Blackburn, Newcastle, and Sunderland are in the hunt too. The Swede, who is out of contract this summer, would be a smart person to move from SHA. But I don't know if he's a great fit for Villa. At 25 years old, he certainly fits in with the youth movement we've begun, but the midfield is currently logjammed. We've got more midfielders than we know what to do with, and I can't see the need for another.
In news that seems to contradict what we heard earlier today, Liverpool might not be interested in Stewart Downing, but rather in Ashley Young. The story, from the Guardian, also mentions that Stephen Warnock might be headed northwards from Birmingham. It really seems to me that we're destined to lose one of Downing or Young, and I'm not really sure who'd I'd rather it be. Personally, of course, I'd like to keep Stewie. But it seems that Ash will fit into Houllier's center-minded offense a bit better, so I think it'd be better for all involved if he stuck around.
Finally, in news reported by our own Kirsten, Omar Cummings, the Colorado Rapids forward training with Villa, is headed back to Colorado. He's a capable forward, but I don't think his loss will be too evident. Be sure to check out what Kirsten has to say at the main site.