TWTD understands that Aston Villa’s move for Blues defender Aaron Cresswell is still very much in its early stages. Last night, national newspaper reports claimed a deal which would see the 22-year-old on his way to Villa Park could be completed within the next 24 hours, however, that appears unlikely to be the case.

The clubs are believed to still be discussing the player’s valuation with some sources reporting that Villa, managed by former Norwich boss Paul Lambert, are willing to pay £3.5 million for the Liverpudlian.

Town will almost certainly be trying to negotiate a higher figure with claims of a £6 million price tag having been put on his head, although it’s unlikely that a relatively inexperienced left-back such as Cresswell would go for anything approaching that sort of fee.

Cresswell cost the Blues tribunal-set compensation of £240,000 rising to £520,000 based on appearances and promotion after he left Prenton Park at the end of his contract last summer.

Tranmere would be entitled 20% of Town's profit if and when the full-back is sold. In addition to the £240,000 initial fee, the tribunal awarded Rovers an additional £45,000 after Cresswell makes 15, 30, 45 and 60 appearances for the Blues, plus a further £100,000 should Town reach the Premier League by the summer of 2014.

Cresswell has so far made 46 appearances for Town, scoring one goal, taking the fee Town have paid up to now to £375,000.

In October, having impressed in his first couple of months at Portman Road, Cresswell extended his Town contract until June 2015 with the option of a further year.

Elsewhere, Derby boss Nigel Clough is considering whether to risk striker Steve Davies in a pre-season friendly at Mansfield this evening with the Rams anxious that the 24-year-old, who is set to leave Pride Park this summer, avoids injury.

Davies has been a Blues target all summer but the clubs have been unable to agree a fee and last week Town manager Paul Jewell rang Clough to tell him he could look elsewhere for the big frontman he is looking to add to his squad.

Clough says Davies’s situation could become clearer towards the end of the week: "There is still a fair bit of interest in him. The interest seemed to cool at the end of last week but there are one or two possibilities now and we will know more towards the weekend."

The Rams boss says his club’s price tag, believed to be around the £1 million mark, isn’t unfair: "You cannot base the valuation on appearances because Steven has not been ever-present for three or four years. But when he has been on the pitch, he has scored goals. He has a good goals-per-game ratio.

"We also know the asking price of trying to replace him. So the valuation is based on those two things, really.

"We don't think we are being unreasonable with our valuation and we hope we get something near it."

Photo: Action Images

timjwoodall added 10:49 - Jul 25 I don't understand why so many are up in arms about this. 3.5 million for a player we have paid 375k for over one season is good business. We are a Championship club and can't expect to keep our players if a Premiership club comes in. In addition, I think Cressy is good player and can put some great crosses in but was part of one of a defence that recorded one of our worst ever goals against record. I remember the Brighton away game last season being beaten very easily for the first goal. Should he go, as some have stated this could give Joe Whight an opportunity to stake his claim and we all love a home grown player. This ultimately makes us I think more attractive to other younger players like Hewitt in the lower leagues who know if they come here will get a great opportunity to develop and realise their potential.

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StowTractorBoy added 10:50 - Jul 25 Bluey420 info is usually spot on so if Clegg has stated no contact from Villa what are we worrying about. The only consolation if we sell is that we will have the money to get Davies and/or Baldock.
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Dog added 10:51 - Jul 25 It is not a disaster to let him go. To get anything above £3,000,000 will be a good piece of business for Town. The money would have to be reinvested in good, hungry players and not old has been's like Bullard and Heskey (although i think the latter would be a good foil for Chopra). I don't drive, but i am willing to take a certain chap's car and drive him to the Midlands for that money. Once we have the cash, we need to strenghten the defence (centre back, left back and right back), a speedy winger and a strong Centre Forward. As for Delaney - shocking player. Get rid as soon as. I still cannot beleive we kept him and let Norris and McAuley go - worst thing Town did imo.

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Kesgraveblue57 added 10:54 - Jul 25 Rremember we are a selling club the money will be more than handy, and you just can't stand in the way of the lad good luck to you Aaron, and ask yourself would you move jobs for double the money it's a no brainer for Aaron. Just get the best deal we can and move on !!
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peteswindon added 10:57 - Jul 25 Lets get real, firstly I dont want Cresswell to go. But if we can make a1500% profit on a player it is going to be looked at. If we get 3.5m for him say a 2.5m net profit. Who would we then be able to sign? Its not all doom and gloom. It could be worse you could be that greedy bas*ard Norris and be at Portsmouth.
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Godderz added 10:59 - Jul 25 cresswell is a quality player....stay please!
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Keaneish added 11:00 - Jul 25 Sadly my interest in Town ebbs by the day with stories like this... PJ's done everything asked of him. Found good young talent to build a team around...only for the rug to be pulled out. Times have changed and sadly so is my interest in making the journey every week. Thanks Marcus...if this deal goes through you'll have one fan less for the Blackburn game.
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dizzle added 11:01 - Jul 25 Get real people. How can you turn down an offer that would yield a 3million pound profit!? No one seems to be considering Creswells own views on this. He will inevitably want to move to a large premier league and who are we to stand in his way? What might be the consequences of us stopping such a move? He will be annoyed at the club, it doesn't encourage other young players to aspire to play well to eventually play premiership football and his and the teams form will drop. Let's be sensible, if he wants to leave, take the money (which by the way is more than generous for a left back) and move on.

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scooterblue added 11:02 - Jul 25 i'd be gutted if he left. our best player for the whole of last season(not bits of it like some others)
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PauloJulio added 11:02 - Jul 25 Stephen Warnock signed for Sunderland 3 days ago so you can forget about him!
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Jimmys_Law added 11:03 - Jul 25 It worries me that we are in discussions with Villa because it shows that we are willing to negotiate a fee. I think we should just do what Leeds did with Norwich's bid for Snodgrass, just decline and say no more about it!
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Brockleyblue added 11:09 - Jul 25 Given that we had nothing to play for at the end of last season and that, with Cresswell having been our player of the year, bigger teams were always quite likely to come in for him during the summer, it seems daft to have played him in those last two games which will now cost us £45,000. You really have to wonder sometimes about the intelligence of the people running our club.

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Karlosfandangal added 11:09 - Jul 25 Mmmmm Mid table for the last 3 years and i fear the same for the next 3. We have brought a player who wont make the side till Christmas, Watfords Reserve keeper , a Tottenham player learning his trade and a player who struggled in a poor defence at Forest and now we want to sell one of our bright prospects. We need to keep these players as the likes of the teams coming down have far better players and far more money than we have. Cresswell has now bedded in to the side and we now have to bed in another player at the back as well as Chambers and a new keeper, we will be so far off the pace by Christmas we will be lucky to challange for a top 6

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Lord_Mac added 11:14 - Jul 25 Would recommend everyone reads this excellent blog to get a handle on how difficult it is to balance finances in the Championship. £3 million or so from player sales is needed every year just to make it vaguely viable. http://www.twtd.co.uk/news.php?storyid=20956
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im_marcacus added 11:14 - Jul 25 GOT to keep the team together, we're meant to be building a promotion squad here LONG TERM. I know it's a lot of money, but he barely cost us anything, this is a massive undermining of everything PJ has been saying pre season. The fans wont accept us becoming a feeder club with all the young talent we're trying to bring in. Show show balls ITFC, tell Lambert to jog off!

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buryblue77 added 11:17 - Jul 25 It's simple, we sell for anything between £3.5-4.5m then the club is showing lack of ambition and we are just being a feeder club and making money along the way (Hewitt next year? Maybe this is Evans new business plan now he's realised promotion is difficult) anything over £4.5m (preferably closer to £5m) and we see the money spent on new players then it underlines Evans commitment to getting promotion, sadly i suspect the former.

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ChrisMakin2012 added 11:21 - Jul 25 Clegg: "Who's Aaaron Cresswell again?"
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slaughteredskipper added 11:21 - Jul 25 Not keen that Cresswell leave as he seems committed to the cause, but if PJ thinks he has found a like for like replacement in the French trialist and we have good backup in Joe Wight then to receive upwards of £3.5 million has to make sense if we reinvest in another cb or forward.
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slaughteredskipper added 11:21 - Jul 25 Not keen that Cresswell leave as he seems committed to the cause, but if PJ thinks he has found a like for like replacement in the French trialist and we have good backup in Joe Wight then to receive upwards of £3.5 million has to make sense if we reinvest in another cb or forward.
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bluestu71 added 11:22 - Jul 25 if you let this lad go you can say goodbye to our season
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Stu_Magoo added 11:22 - Jul 25 I'm hardly ever one for pessimism, but lets be honest here - our Owner is p*ssed off at the Angry Irishmen et al having wasted hideous amounts of his cash and seeing his "quick fix" dream of taking on our debt, swiftly getting to the Prem and laughing all the way to the bank, disintergrate. Expect anybody wanted by other clubs to be sold for a packet of fags and a bag of crisps with all proceeds going directly to one of ME's secret, tax-avoiding, Jimmy Carr-esque Cayman Bank accounts......

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ITFCforlife added 11:25 - Jul 25 £6m would be a great deal for a player whos total fee now adds up to 375k. We always have the trialist, Joe Whight, Damien Delaney and maybe even Smith who can play lb. Dont want him to go though, future captain?
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Bangor31 added 11:28 - Jul 25 he is not worth more than 4/5 mil, Alba one of the best LB in the game was 11 mil, with that you have major trophy, international experience, playing champions league etc we are selling a guy who performed in the crossing a free kick area in the championship and is young. I like cressers as a project and prospect but if someone said 4/5 mil up front i'd have to start looking for a replacement

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jatkinson4 added 11:32 - Jul 25 if worst comes to worst and he does leave...we should try signing ryan bertrand on loan?
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mark1969 added 11:33 - Jul 25 Lets see what happens here . If the club are ambitious he will stay , but if his head is turned by money we may be better letting him go. I was getting excited at the prospect of the new season , we have let players go and some have come in but if we lose another 2 without suitable replacements we could be in trouble . We are in Marcus Evans hands we should soon see if he has his or our interests at heart . Lets hope this is all forgotten and we are smiling next May.

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