Re: Summer transfer thread
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 3:28 pm
Manchester City are on the verge of making Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph their first major signing of the summer, Goal can confirm.
Delph will move to the Etihad Stadium in an £8million ($12.5m) deal and sign a long-term contract that will see his wages rise to £100,000-a-week ($156,000) as City continue their home-grown recruitment drive.
The England international understands he will be a squad player at City but has been assured he will be granted a similar level of first-team opportunities to what James Milner enjoyed in his five-year stint at the club.
Delph was set to be a free agent this summer before signing a new four-and-a-half-year contract at Villa in January, but the deal included an £8m release clause that City have wasted little time in activating.
Villa have already moved to replace the outgoing 25-year-old by signing Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye for £9m ($14m) from Lille.