It appears there's little left to do but put pen to paper in Aston Villa's deal with USA midfielder Michael Bradley:
"Bradley will be signing, hopefully," said Houllier. "We've got to prepare for the future and Michael is 23 and a very hard working midfielder who can score goals."
Providing that this medical, which it seems he's been undergoing for days now, doesn't turn up anything untoward, Bradley will become a Villan, possibly permanently. Perhaps then Nike stores in the United States will start stocking Aston Villa kits again? Perhaps Randy Lerner truly is a wise man.
In addition to waiting for the Bradley deal to go through, everyone's anxious for the ink to dry on Stephen Ireland's loan move to
Newcastle. Well, ok, Newcastle fans might not be anxious for this. But surely if they get Ireland, Toon fans will no longer be sad about losing Andy Carroll. Right?
As for that other Stephen, Warnock, nothing has happened with his possible loan move to
Liverpool. Seems that the Reds have bigger fish to fry, what with
Fernando Torres and
Luis Suarez deals to work out, plus the fifty other moves that are linked with the club at the moment. Maybe we should give Newcastle a two-Stephens-for-the-price-of-one deal.