Is James Milner Worth £20 Million?

Aston Villa have rejected a £20 million bid from Manchester City for James Milner. Is he worth that much, and was it the correct decision to reject this bid?

I've been weighing this up and I am struggling to justify the fee. Because of this, I am wondering why Aston Villa has rejected the bid. I think Milner has had a great season and his ability, recent form, age, and new-found versatility will obviously justify an increase his value. Having said that—£20 million? Really?

I think this is a classic case of an inflated transfer fee due to the club that is interested. I can't help but think that Milner will leave this summer and it's just a case of how much Villa can make.

As an Arsenal fan, I would like to see Milner come to my club, providing the fee was reasonable. I'd rate him in the £12-16m bracket, but for me even the higher end of that scale would see a club paying too much.

That said, you have to look at it from Villa's point of view. Milner has become an important player for them and with Villa still trying to push into that top four position, maybe it was the right decision? They weren't that far off this season.

They were never the favourites and they won't be next season as it's going to be even more difficult, more so if they sell one of their best players to a rival for that fourth Champions League spot. So would letting one of their best players go and having to blood another into that position be the correct decision? It will surely hamper them. So maybe the fee is justified? Maybe Villa don't need to sell him for financial reasons and that's why the fee is so high?

I've seen this morning that Barcelona are going to offer £30 million for Cesc Fabregas, and that Manchester United are considering making a £28 million bid for Milner. Surely there's something wrong there? Of course, it is just paper talk.

I don't think Manchester United will bid that high for James Milner. Yesterday, Ferguson indicated that he may not make any more signings, and I do believe Milner will sign for Manchester City. I think it will be a good deal for Aston Villa, who could use the money to reinforce one of the smallest squads in the top half of the table.

Let's say they did make £20 million for this player and could reinvest this money back into the squad. They could sign two or three decent players and make the squad a lot stronger. Milner has improved at Villa but this is his breakthrough season. Parallels can be drawn with last season when Ashley Young was the toast of Birmingham and attracted interest from bigger clubs with big fees being thrown around by the media.

While I think that some of the criticism he has received this season has been harsh, Young hasn't hit the standards that he set last season. If a club is foolish enough to bid high after one season of any player playing at his highest level then maybe the Ashley Young example should be looked at because there are no guarantees that Milner will maintain this season's form. The transfer fee involved could aid Villa in reaching the next level.