Aston Villa striker John Carew has played down speculation linking him with a move to Manchester City and insisted: "I will be here next season."
Carew is reported to also be on Mark Hughes's radar following his £12 million capture of Villa midfielder Gareth Barry. The Norway international was in outstanding form after returning from a back problem in February and finished as Villa's leading scorer for the second season running with 15 goals.
Carew said: "There are always rumours when the window opens. One week it could be me, one week it could be Ashley Young or whoever. But I am so happy here. I love everyone here. I don't see any reason for anything else to happen."
He added: "I know I am part of the manager's plans. Rumours that come up, we can't do anything about that. I am happy here. I can't see why I should move.
"I am used to speculation. I have been in the game so many years. I take it as a compliment if clubs are looking at you but I don't relate to it at all. I am happy here.
"That is what is important for me. I have got the current games with the national team and then we are back in early July for pre-season training."
Villa boss Martin O'Neill is being linked with a summer move for out-of-contract Newcastle striker Michael Owen.
But it would mean taking their wage structure to a new level to match Owen's current six-figure salary - or for the one-time England striker to take a pay cut.
Villa showed their intentions when they offered Barry £80,000 a week to sign a new deal before he opted to make the switch to Eastlands.
Comment 1 - 19 of 19
BIG 10 you are such a K N O B........ @#$% o the midlands when we finished higher than all other midland clubs?... the other midland outfits go up and down like yo-yo's out of the premier so keep sniffing ur mommas knickers. you must be high. oh yeah, thats right ur a manc. they're always high on summat up there innit.... MON is God. and we'll still finish higher than ur sandbagging lot next season... only way you can do anything better is by spend,spend,spending and ur gaffer is clueless at doing that... roll on bankruptcy in 2 or 3 seasons
As an addition, City were last in Lge 2, for a single season, in 1998/9 - 10 years ago. This really is immaterial, however, as City are a bigger, richer club than Villa with far more potential, whether their fickle fans like it or not. O'Neill is also vastly overrated, nuch as I like the man - steering Villa from a well ahead 4th to a well adrift 6th took some doing.
Anticipated comments re: Hughes - 10th. Yes, he was dreadful last season, as was the team. But let's not forget City were in the relegation places at Xmas so a 10th finish was not too bad.
Carew's a decent player, the type who should have been acquired before he went to Villa, but let's leave him there - Villa are in the mire following Laursen's retirement and Barry's exit, still got a decent squad but that back 4 is so dodgy (Davies!!!Knight!!!) it's unbelieveable. Same could be said of City's, which is why we need a @#$% hot left sided centre half.
As has been stated elsewhere, City need to set their sights above the likes of Carew but below the usual list of megastars that they haven't got a hope in hell of landing.
To Gareth, i remember when Man City wer in the 3rd div ad i'll think you'll find that wasn't that long ago, Villa were last in div 3 early 40yrs ago, not 5yrs ago.
All Man City fans are talking out their "Wannabe Man Utd arses"...Carew's got sense, read what it says above, he's happy at Villa, in other words, "Man City are @#$%, and going no-where, so why would i wanna leave a club bound for success to go to a club bound for the championship", all the monet in timbucktoo wouldn't make a blind bit of difference, you're just like birmingham are to Villa, always in Man Utds shadows.
hey tomthebestaround, do i detect some jealousy here? i remember the villa in the old 3rd division, do you? get used to it, there's a new kid on the block
that just shows your ambition wanting MICHAEL OWEN
a crocked player
CTID
john carew IS COMMING TO MANCHESTER CITY
SO GET USED TO IT
CTID
to big 10. your history is @#$%. villa have always been a bigger side than you. wheres your european cup? 7 leagues 7 fa cups 5 league cups and a european super cup. you are a @#$% yo yo team who will be descarded when the sheikh has finished playing with u. you cant buy continous relative success hence our constant higher finishes in the league and now premier league. oh and the last time i checked we had one owner not ten who is a certified billionaire and passionate about building a club around its history. do you think the sheikh gives a @#$% about you. enjoy your £1000 season tickets. coming soon
# 7
HOPE CITY GO IN DEBT-HA HA HA HA HA
WHATS IT LIKE SUPPORTING A CLUB WITH NO MONEY
THE MAJORITY OF PLAYERS WANT TO LEAVE
AND BASICALLY BEING THE $HIT OF THE MIDLANDS
BIRMINGHAM,WBA,WOLVES,ARE LAUGHING AT YOU
GIVE US CAREW-CITY ARE THE ONES TO WATCH THIS SEASON
WE HAVE GOT GARETH BARRY
YOU CAN HAVE OWEN WITH A BIG BOW ON IT
SNIGGER SNIGGER
C.T.I.D
sign big John up for the rest of his career i say! hes so important t us. top goal scorer last 2 seasons and is such a handfull and scores goals with his head and his feet. people say he has a poor first touch? what games do you watch? he has a good first touch and is quicker than what people think but who can shift a 6ft5 monster? not many. stick a fit michael owen next to him and theres goals there.
We cant get rid of carew. he is one of our top players/. I hope Man.city fall in to debt. Teams with so much money ruin football. Villa have had a lot of good players come through the academy. Gabby and delfauneso are just 2. Owen would be a good buy if we could get his salary and injuries down. You want to pay a 6-figure salary a week to someone who never plays. diss this comment if you want but i speak the truth. i am one of the few people with enough balls to have a go at man. city
Don't touch Owen - he is a crock player - will cost you a fortune for little team input. You already signed Newcastle's best player (Milner) who should be playing for England.
Hope when you guys play Burnley you chant 'Burnley only has one ball...' in reference to them electing Nick Griffin as MEP - but the reference of 'one ball Burnley' comes across as being funny in foot-ball terms too.
Lawrence are you mad??? Offload Carew???? The man scores goals has such physical presence that defenders bounce off him and has just finished 2nd season running as club high scorer! A fully fit Carew over a full season will get 20 goals plus! His experience alone makes him an invaluable member of Villas squad. Trust me Carew will go nowhere.
Villa would actually have done well to offload Carew... He is sometimes a physical presence, but he lacks pace and has an appalling first touch (I know he was carrying an injury in the final game against Newcastle, but he was dire in that game). Ditto Michael Owen (minus the physical presence).
I'm really glad Carew is indicating he wants to stay at Villa, I think he's the most effective striker we've had since Dion Dublin at his best or Angel in his 20-goal season. I honestly wouldn't swap him for any other striker in the Prem.
Pogrebnyak*
Carew is a useful player, and manCity would be benefitted by having him, but there are better, younger ones like him out there. Namely: Oscar Cardozo and Pavel Pograbnyak. Or Borriello is they're prepared to risk it
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account