£24million for a warm seat?

At last it's all over. The rumours and the speculation can finally stop. This summers drawn out, tiresome headline transfer saga has come to an end. That's right, Jon Walters has completed his move from Ipswich to Stoke for the princely (well princely for a mid-table Championship side at least) sum of £2.75million. Not a bad fee for a back-up to Stoke's chief totem pole for Rory Delap to aim at, Kenwyne Jones. O, and while I remember it,  some bloke called James Milner has joined Blank Cheque City.


Yep, Milner's protracted transfer to Man City was finalised today for £24million, with City even being kind enough to pass over the cheeky Irish scamp, Stephen Ireland to Aston Villa. Now, i'm not sure if I am the only one on planet Earth to feel this, but it seems that Villa have produced the footballing equivalent of a backstreet mugging. Just over a year ago Ireland was voted the player of the year by Man City's fans and now he's been sidled out of the club as a footnote. 


Ireland has terrific creativity, vision and passing range, combine this with his pace and eye for goal and you have a wonderfully gifted young player that should perfectly into Villa's midfield. Milner likewise has a handy trait of finding the net and stamina levels that would make even Russell Brand proud. The question is where does Milner fit into Roberto Mancini's starting eleven? The England international earned himself rave reviews in the centre of the midfield last season and if he wants to do so again for his new club then he will have to fight off the challenge of Yaya Toure, De Jong, Gareth Barry and Vieira, all of whom it is fair to say are pretty decent. 


So, Man City have paid £24million for someone who may not even be able to get on their bench and Aston Villa had got themselves a guaranteed starter. This does not sound like the the finest deal the footballing world has seen, but do City's blindingly rich owners care, I doubt it. Although I suppose after you have agreed to pay Yaya Toure £200,000 a week you give up caring.


On a sidenote, I realise I make it sound like I don't enjoy the daily conjecture about whether a multi-millionaire footballer will stop wearing one clubs shirt and start wearing another because they offered him a little more pocket money to spend on sweets. In reality however, like most single football obsessed men with nothing better to do I actually love the debate and speculation. I trawl the newspaper and websites for that next piece of juicy gossip about the future of Swansea's third choice right back. 


But all this makes me normal...right?