Real Madrid are apparently willing to pay £20 million plus Rafael Van Der Vaart to capture winger Ashley Young. Although Aston Villa have put a £30 million price tag on his head.

If I were Villa I'd take that deal Young ain't worth that. Van der Vaart is top quality.

Aye it is a very good deal for Villa. van der Vaart is quality and started off at Real really well scoring 4 goals in the first month. But since the team has been out of form, it has affected his own form also. Juande Ramos has been playing him off the bench also. Which he isn't happy about either.

Not surprised he ain't happy he is a great player.

I think thats one of the things that Real Madrid are seriously missing. A quality striker with genuine pace. They have Drenthe and Robben who are fast but not the best attacking players around. Eto'o would be a quality signing but there is no chance in hell, him ever going back to Madrid.

Is Huntelaar fast because they have signed him or did he just look fast playing in the Dutch league

Tbh I have no idea if he is fast or not?

barca go 10 points clear, almeria sack their manager, osasuna belt getafe for 5 and despite drawing sevilla finish the year 2nd
roll on 2009

Average, although I think the rest of his game is underrated. People say he's just a finisher, but he's much more than that.

the almeria chairman didnt even wait to leave the stadium before sacking the coach!!
i can see them struggling in the 2nd half of the season

Huzzah! An away win! That makes everything look rosier going into the break.

Hardly surprising as he's one of the most highly self-opinionated players there is, and that's up against some stiff opposition. He out big-headed Zlatan at Ajax, f'rinstance. No mean feat, I'm sure you'd agree.

It's not just about the relative merits of the actual on-field performances of players y'know. Ashley Young's people would be idiots if they thought of thinking about walking away from Villa where he's getting regular football in a settled side with a manager who knows what he's doing, long and short term. Long term isn't something required in the vocabulary of a Real Madrid manager. And van der Vaart is nothing if not disruptive. He was at Ajax. He was at Hamburg. Sounds like he's already started at El Real. Good. They're welcome to him. Classic El Real player.
So what I'm saying is that it'd be a rubbish deal for Villa.