Aston Villa quash claims of Liverpool FC move for Stilyan Petrov
Jul 31 2010 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
MARTIN O’Neill has underlined Stiliyan Petrov’s value to Villa after insisting Liverpool have not tried to tempt the captain away from Villa Park.
Roy Hodgson was rumoured to be weighing up a £7 million offer for the Bulgarian midfielder as a replacement for Javier Mascherano.
O’Neill can understand why the Anfield giants would be interested in Petrov but says there have been no approaches for the skipper.
“There was a story that Liverpool were about to pounce,” said O’Neill, ahead of tonight’s Guadiana Cup opener against Feyenoord in the Algarve.
“It said he was going to be the player they would want to replace Mascherano.
“Stiliyan Petrov has been absolutely fantastic for us in the last couple of years and – please don’t take this as if I’m inviting offers, because I’m not – I’m not surprised that teams are interested in him.
“I haven’t spoken to Paul Faulkner or Randy Lerner about it, but there’s nothing in the story so I wouldn’t hold phenomenal store in that.
“But that doesn’t mean that teams like Liverpool wouldn’t be interested in him because he’s a top quality player. But as we speak, no-one from Liverpool has contacted us.”
O’Neill has been delighted with Petrov’s form in the past two seasons and the Villa boss insists the former Celtic play-maker has revelled in the captain’s role.
