Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Saturday August 9 2008
Time: 9:00AM
UK time is: 07:57:16
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Villa Linked With 20 Goal A Season Striker
I do like this rumour! Villa are apparently chasing Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz.
The Paraguay international made 36 appearances in the Premier League for Blackburn last year and scored... wait for it.... 19 goals. He also scored 3 in the league cup and 1 in Europe.
According to the Daily Mail Manchester City are also after him but the paper report claims that Rovers would prefer to sell him to Villa than their former manager Mark Hughes. They also claim we have had a £10million offer turned down. Fair enough, double it and get him (what the heck, it isn't my money is it?!?!?!)
Villa desperately need more fire power and a striker of this quality could well be the final bit in the jigsaw that could see us start to be real contenders for a top four spot, especially if we can keep hold of grumpy pants Gareth Barry as well!
A 20 goal a season man? This could just be it! If the link gets stronger, I'll get an interview with Walker over at Vital Blackburn, they'll love me!!
Profile:
Date of Birth: 16/08/1981
Height: 6' 2' (187cm)
Weight: 12st 8lbs (80.0kg)
Previous Clubs: Olimpia de Asuncion, Bayern Munich
He joined Blackburn Rovers in July 2007 on a four-year deal (undisclosed fee) having spent, according to Blackburn's official site '7 injury plagued seasons' at Bayern Munich.
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Your Comments
Hell yes. Sign him up. Other than the sentence '7 injury plagues seasons at Bayern Munich' everything I've seen about this guy rings of quality. Albeit. everything I've seen of this guy was last season. What's the source? Thats usually a decent way of judging rumour strength.
Mayo_12
Would be good if we could get him. Might be enough to send Blackburn down me thinks :( RSC certainly won't get the same service now Bentley has gone.
DoLpHiNaToR
That would do nicely wouldn't it??
The Fear
Would be great for the team as i think gabby needs a push now and then as hes had no threat to his place for 2 seasons really but that Huntelaar would be nice oh! to dream....!!!!!!!!!!!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIIGScglFCE
B6_COMPANY
lets get the 2 of them why not .?
B6_COMPANY
If we get him we will break the top 4.
lerneravfc
Hell yes, exactly the type of player we need, and want. If we cant get him thatd be sweet, but wed probably have to double that ten mil just as you said to get him, but again, as you said, it aint my money.
AussieVilla
just had a look at his record as its well known that he's never been prolific. last season was the first he's got in to double figures and he's played a lot more games than your led to believe (re injury ravaged seasons). Many unknown quatities have had great first seasons in the league then not done it again. if he does it next year fair enough but my money is on that he doesnt. 15-20 mil is a lot to pay for an unproven goalscorer.
themightyatom
He wont leave now that they have signed his brother
DO'L
JF! You're behind! This broke yesterday ha!
leelindsay
it did in our world lee lol !!!!!!!!
Stig
What about a 20-25m deal for Roque Santa Cruz and Pederson, move Young onto the right and play Pederson on the left, It doesn't really matter both players can player either side.
Villa 4 Ever
has his brother not just signed for blackburn! if so I can't see him going anywhere
eltoro
Listen boys, he's not leaving us so there's nothing to discuss!!! Roque is a class act but he's not a miracle worker!! There's guys on this saying that he will help u "break the top 4"!! I mean, we've got problems at Rovers but i'd still put our squad up against yours any day....Young and Shorey aren't gonna set the world alight n it still leaves you with a squad of around 18ish???? Brad will earn you at least 10 points a season which should ensure at least a top half finish but the loss of Barry could annaihlate that possibility!! Everyone has strengthened but if u wanted to break in to the big boys then you would have to have been thinkin outside the box and landing players with the class of Bentley and Modric......the boys you have signed wont take you to that level boys and you are deluded if you think otherwise!!! I'm realistic in that i believe that this year will be tough for ince!!
mani13963
Mate we have a squad closer to 28 or something now, you know nothing about us, and if we went in for Pederson, Cruz, Warnock you know they would come within an instant with the right bids, Also Barry isn't leaving and if he was there's plenty of players out there that can do his job, if we placed a 12m bid for Johnson offered him a good signing on fee with about 45k a week on a 4 year deal you would see Barry's replacement and his future replacement for England, Now run ago before i come and terrorise your forum.
Villa 4 Ever
yes Lee, but I couldn't scoop the scooper mate?!?!?!?
The Fear
Bouma, Sidwell, Laursen, Barry, Young, Harewood, Carew, Agbonlahor, Taylor, Davies, Knight, Salifou, Routledge, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Gardner, Osbourne, Maloney, Halloran, Parish, Herd,
Baker, Stieber, Friedel, Guzan, Young, Shorey, Delfonso i stand corrected.
Villa 4 Ever
Interesting points mani. We'll see at the end of the season again I guess + after our games in the league. Thats a point, must make the Ewood Park trip this season I think! My point is we need a 20 a goal striker (don't all teams) and with a solid defence, that could make the difference for us. Football is never predictable thoug,, time will tell!
The Fear
I can't see him leaving this season, there'd be an uproar at Blackburn, this one is a non-starter. It's like Ashton from West Ham...these clubs cannot get rid of this sort of player, knowing that they can't buy anyone for the money as they wouldn't be able to attract such a player. Santa Cruz went there because of Euro football, no one of his quality would go to Blackburn this season. Furthermore, i personally think RSC was the LUCKIEST striker in the prem last season, i know you have to be in the right place and all that, but i think he had his fair slice of luck last season...Benni McCarthy has got more ability. I'd happily take RSC mainly because i want to see a striker, but i can't see this one happening folks.
AstonMartinOneill
Put your squad up against ours thats the funniest thing ive heard all week.At the rate that your club is selling players i wouldn't put your squad up against the sh**e from st andrews and then we have one of the best managers in the country(if not the world!) and you have a manager thats won what, the old 4th division.Enjoy your mini league at the bottom with boro,wigan and fulham.
Mr A Villa
MGP and RSC - good shout Villa 4 Ever. i've been saying for ages that if we get a natural lefty then we don't need a righty!! as Yougn would go to the right with routledge as his super sub..;-) That would mean one third more money to split between a midfielder (an inny!!) and a out and out striker (an outy!!).
koolbill
I'm not so keen.. he was great last season but his record at Bayern was aweful, & don't forget how good Benni McCarthy was for one season at Blackburn; then last season he was nowhere!
SchoolBoyError
like your sqaud done against us at yours last term Mani
B6_COMPANY
We'd never get him.
Pking
Dont rate the lad, i think maybe a one season wonder!
roehe
RSC would be great, but Blackburn would be relgated if he left so I am not sure it will happen. As for a one season wonder I think not he is a quality player, has problems with injuries but with our 'miracle medical team' (just ask Davies and Laursen) he would bang them in for us! In other striker news Huntelaar has quoted he wouldnt rule out a move to the prem (F365) he has been linked with United but they want Berbatov and no one seems bothered with him so why not put in a cheeky bid? 20mil anyone?
Tez86
Gotta agree with two of the above posts - I'm not too sure about him either. Afraid he could jump ship to another club and be a total flop in a big money move. His track record isn't spectacular and he's only had one good season. That said, I rather him than Ashton.
los_angeles_villan
Huntelaar wouldn't go to anything less than champions league. He's already captain of Ajax. Huntelaar is my dream signing.
los_angeles_villan
RSC, Downing and a decent CB, we would definately challenge the top 4 then.
johnmurphy3112
mani13963 - You "squares" from up North are the least of our worries this season. We'll take at least 4 points from you which will do nicely with 3 off ManU, 4 off Liverpool and 3 apiece from Arsenal and Chelsea. I hear his brother thinks he is the best of the two, so they will probably be best parted. However don't fret we'll look after him and Martin O'Neill will probably turn him into world class -European Player Of The Year, at least. So we'll take him at £15mill please.
villacross
koolbill -interesting points about Pederson LW and moving Aslley to RW. Could work, especially as AY is naturally right-footed. But strangely enough AY seems to get soime kind of help from the "Almighty" when he seems to waltz past defenders down the left flank - I can't ever recall him doing the same on the right - a very strange phenomenon. I remember Tom Finney being the same at Preston and England 50+ years ago.
villacross
johnmurphy3112 - why another CB? Don't you think Laursen and Davies are good enough or are you thingimg of extra cover for them instead of Knight. Don't forget that Freddie's natural position in CB. It was DOL that started playing him at LB
villacross
I like the idea of Freddie for CB, but you are right I like Zat but he's not good enough for where we are going, neither I think is Kaboul or A ferdinand, don't actually know who would be good enough for us that is available..... maybe joleon lescott he can play CB and is of the class I would like to see, would he leave everton though bearing in mind he's a bluenose!!
johnmurphy3112
Not 100% certain on Santa Cruz, at least not £15m certain! Pederson would be excellent, Bosminga sees him as the biggest threat in the league!
NorthcliffeBandit
Huntelaar for me please. He is proven class and if manure aren't interested then we should have no problem other than the 20mil fee. He has stated he would like the challenge of the best league in the world that is the premiership! Not being in the CL tho would hamper any move. If only eh! If we fail to even bid for him then we should go after RSC.
holte ender 1969
Santa Cruz looked good last season but is he a one season wonder. Worth a punt if the price is right though!
bellywipes
Huntelaar is NOT proven class is he , he's only played in the Dutch league! he's behind Kuyt in the dutch team and that says it all.
Villan57
Just cant see this one happening. Why would Blackburn Rovers want to sell the guy, and as far as I'm aware he's not doing a Gareth Barry on them, and demanding out. No, this one will never see the light of day. Trust me.
glensider
Also I have to question whether he might be a one season wonder. As themightyatom has quite rightly pointed out, he has hardly been a prolific goalscorer pre-2007-08. Not saying that he didn't look the business last season, because he most certainly did, but I'll be interested to see whether he can repeat his exploits in the up-coming campaign.
glensider
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