James Milner is set to reject a huge £34 million contract offer from City in order to complete a move to Liverpool when his current deal expires in a few weeks, according to the Mirror. This is the latest bit of speculation in the saga that’s developed over the last few months, a saga which has seen Milner linked primarily with Liverpool, Arsenal and clubs in Italy.
The Blues have reportedly been keen to give the former Aston Villa midfielder a new contract for months now, with Manuel Pellegrini regularly reiterating his desire for the 29-year-old to continue on at Eastlands past this summer. If he doesn’t sign a new contract, it isn’t from a lack of effort on City’s part – with what is presumably the latest offer coming in at £165,000 per week for Milner, with the contract lasting for four years.
At times in his five-year City career, Milner has struggled with game-time but has found more of it under Manuel Pellegrini, featuring heavily at times. He has become a crowd favourite due to his underrated ability and consistently high levels of effort, and many have expressed their disappointment at him likely leaving this summer.
Of course, aged 29 it’s more about the playing time than it is about money for James Milner. Having been at Eastlands since 2010 he won’t be short on cash, and wants to ensure that his final years as a player have as many appearances as he can get. He’s more likely to get that at Anfield than he is at The Etihad, although that’s not to say he won’t be heavily missed when/if he does depart.
