Manchester City now want Ashley Young too

Believe it or not but reports are starting to drip feed onto my phone that Manchester City want Webcam at the same time they want to take Milner.

And, if you wondered why our owner and manager started talking about Milner before the season ended, it was because Manchester City had already approached the club before the season ended about Milner.

The report in the Guardian says, actually, I'm just going to copy the whole thing for you below, or not actually the whole thing, just the important bits. If you want to read it all you should click here.

Manchester City are to continue their pursuit of James Milner and have also contacted Aston Villa about the potential availability of his team-mate Ashley Young. City have been encouraged to believe that Milner has set his mind on joining them and that he may even agitate for a move if the issue threatens to drag on over the summer.

Milner is City's top target but it has emerged that when Brian Marwood, the club's football administrator, spoke to Villa before the end of the season to inquire about the midfielder, he also asked about Young.

City's information is that Milner, despite his public diplomacy, wants to follow the same route as Gareth Barry, having decided he stands a better chance of winning trophies at Eastlands. Young's future at Villa also remains unclear, although City have yet to follow up their initial interest in the winger. It does, however, appear extremely unlikely Villa would allow both players to leave.

So, you have one player to keep if the above is true, who do you keep? Personally, I'd keep Webcam and hope he gets better next season with his delivery and awareness and we can get more for him or during next season he falls in love with the club, because one needs to happen and he has had enough love sent in his direction.

Now is the time

Now is the time to really start acting like a club that want to really challenge for a top three place. We need to impress Milner with our ambition and he might stay but we have to act, no more words. Lie to Milner now and he'll be gone next summer and it will be a lot less than £20mn.

We really do need to strengthen this summer, keep hold of Milner and Webcam and kick on.

It all comes down to Randy Lerner doing what he has to do and Martin O'Neill doing what he has to do. It won't work if they both don't do what they have to do.