Title-winning Manchester City defender linked to Villa

I'd make a "wash, rinse, repeat" joke here, but I'm not sure if Joleon Lescott has enough hair for shampoo humour to be appropriate. That's right, it's time to dig up everybody's favorite transfer rumour again: Lescott is ready to leave Manchester City and is looking at a return to his childhood-favorite team. The 31-year-old will see his contract expire this summer, and he has not been offered an extension. So of course, with him free on the market, this means we have to hear the links to Villa. 

Because we get to hear these links every transfer window.

To be fair, Lescott certainly coudn't hurt Aston Villa at this point, but he doesn't really fit in with what the club need. Though there would be no associated transfer fee, it's safe to assume that Lescott wouldn't be leaving Manchester City and happy to accept low wages.  And Villa could certainly use some defensive help, but more on the wings than in the center, where Ron Vlaar and Jores Okore are expected to hold down the fort this coming season. Lescott isn't a terrible fit for Villa, but he's also not a great one.

And there doesn't seem to be much indication that there's anything more to this than the usual "Well, we've reported it for the last few years, so there's already a link!" Using that template you can expect to start seeing stories about Aston Villa's interest in Hiroshi Kiyotake and Robbie Keane soon. Until we hear anything else, I think we can dismiss the Lescott to Villa rumours.