Villa Line Up £12million Serbian Defoe Alternative?

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Aston Villa are believed to be considering a £12million offer for Serbian International striker Milan Jovanovic at Belgian side Standard Liege, with Villans manager Martin O’Neill keen to keep the Midlands club charge into the top four in the Premier League intact.

O’Neill is resigned to losing out to Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe, who stated on Sunday that Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is the manager he wants to play for and was the reason he left for Pompey in the first place.

Reports are also suggesting that Danish International John Carew is to leave Villa Park, with the former Valencia player likely to move on in the summer if not this month.

This makes the need for O’Neill even more urgent to add a striker to his squad, with the Serbian hitman said to be high on Villa’s wish list following 35 goals in 76 appearances for Liege since his move from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2006.



27-year-old Jovanovic has already turned down Everton, Spurs and Real Madrid, with a source close to the striker claiming that it is a straight race between the Premiership club and Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart for Jovanovic.

A close friend of the striker told the Daily Star: “Aston Villa have made it clear they would love to sign Milan – and the deal is ­possible. Milan has already turned down the chance to play for Real Madrid, Everton and Spurs.

“Now, it is a straight choice between Villa and Stuttgart.

“At the moment, though, the Germans are favourites – and maybe Villa have only a few days to change that.”