It was a move that was whispered for weeks and possibly months, now it's official: James Milner is done at Aston Villa and bound for Manchester City.
Milner, 24, will undergo a medical at Eastlands on Tuesday afternoon and City midfielder Stephen Ireland will move in the opposite direction to Villa Park.
City manager Roberto Mancini hopes to tie up all the loose ends by Wednesday at the latest.
"I hope we can close it between today and tomorrow,'' Mancini said. "I think that Milner is a good player, an English player which is important. I think that Milner can play in different positions.''
City have been pursuing the England international all summer and had an initial bid rejected before the start of the World Cup. The final fee is reported to be around £20 million.
Milner played his final game for Villa in their opening Premier League fixture on Saturday, starring and scoring in a 3-0 home win over West Ham. He received a standing ovation from the home fans.
The midfielder moved to Aston Villa in 2008 having enjoyed a successful loan spell at Villa Park during the 2005/2006 season. Last term he was named the PFA Young Player of the Year and was also selected in the Premier League's Team of the Year.
Aston Villa is good but Manchester City is better, expect them to finish in the top four in the EPL this season and qualify for the Champions League after they just missed out last season by finishing fifth. They lacked an English presence so Milner is a good choice since he's young and his best years should be ahead of him, particularly when you surround him with such talent.
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