Aston Villa are looking to sign Town left-back Aaron Cresswell for a fee of £3.5 million, according to reports. The 22-year-old was the Blues’ Player of the Year last season having signed from Tranmere last summer.

New Villa manager Paul Lambert is claimed to close to agreeing a fee with Town for the Liverpudlian and hopes to get the deal done within 24 hours.

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.

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 £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.

Photo: Action Images

jas0999 added 09:18 - Jul 25 IF TRUE then clearly this will be disappointing. However, the stark reality is we have been a below average Championship side for a number of years - under Roy and whether some posters like it or not - under PJ. 3.5M is a considerable amount of money for a defender with limited Championship experience. Although I would be disappointed to see him go - the offer may be too good. If we do sell however, then every single penny would need to be re-invested; with none of the 'we had to spend on wages' rubbish. The club have saved no end on wages - with many players leaving in the Summer. I would expect the money spent on new permanent players (fees - not frees). Cresswell has been without doubt PJ's best signing to date.

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Vizslaraner added 09:20 - Jul 25 Everything was coming into place nicely and the positive vibes were returning! Must get big money for him to land another left back and sign players in other positions. God I hate that budgie t..t! I wouldn't want to play for such an a......e.
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i8canarys added 09:23 - Jul 25 Maybe a straight swap for Darren Bent
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jatkinson4 added 09:24 - Jul 25 Seems possible as bakayogo has been on trial at LB for a few weeks now...why else would we be trialling a LB?! Hopefully cressie stays cos watched this guy at braintree last night and he was pretty poor! Cresswell is the best LB in the championship...he cannot be sold!!
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LisbieAvenue added 09:25 - Jul 25 A few quick points. If he WANTS to move to a Premiership side then the club have to let him go otherwise you'll just end up with a pissed off player. Modric is a good example of this at Spurs. If he doesn't want to leave then the club should hold off for a few more seasons. Some on hear have said this would be a disaster. He's only a full back! This position is NOT the most important position on the field so would not have a massive impact. Maybe we could then finally play a player from our youth setup like Whight. At the end of the day, we did kind of steal this player from a lower league team so I think it would be pot calling the kettle black if we start saying that Villa should scout their own players!!

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Scribble added 09:25 - Jul 25 I know I'm not the first to say it but blue badger you are an absolute clown and I dread to think what your starting 11 would be
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DurhamTownFan added 09:47 - Jul 25 Very tricky situation... You can't deny the boy a move to a club that currently much bigger than ours. He's done very well for us, and deserves his chance in the Prem. However, if I were PJ I'd be demanding ALL profit to be re-invested into the team. We won't find another as good as Cresswell overnight!
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Brazils_Hair added 09:52 - Jul 25 What on earth is the point in selling him. Surely it is obvious that we need to keep him. If he leaves we will simply have to go and buyt another Left Back! Where will we get one of those? Absolutely pointless. Money has ruined this game. And Recaro seats in dug outs.
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RaymondovicBlue added 09:58 - Jul 25 Nothing new to say .. just adding my weight (and there is far too much of it these days) to the PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS BACKWARD STEP FOR ONLY £3.5. He will earn us that in a year of performances taking us to play-off's (with help from the rest of the team/squad, of course) PJ will be fuming if he is undermined by this deal going ahead and if he is then I hope he comes out with comments to show it because PJ will get the blame at the end of the year (or before!), no-one else!!

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ipswichtillidie added 10:03 - Jul 25 I may upset the apple cart here but for 3.5 mill I'd drive him up there! As long as PJ has plans in place for a suitable replacement in time. I don't rate Cresser as highly as he seems to have been hyped up! Can't beat a player and is defensively suspect against tricky wingers... He has time to improve and would warrant a few like this in a few years maybe but would be happy with this if the money was re invested in say Baldock and a new young left back

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Lord_Mac added 10:04 - Jul 25 Well, I'd take the money. Especially if we can raise it up a bit. I was in Holland and was pretty impressed with both the French triallists. I thought Baka??? would give Creswell a run anyway, especially based on the Helmond game. What I liked about him was his ability to tidy up in defence and *always* find a colleague passing it out of defence. Something we've not been too good at in recent times.

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ipswichm8 added 10:22 - Jul 25 swap deal for richard dunne and a striker gabriel agbonlahor + 3.5m not bad
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shoopdelang added 10:38 - Jul 25 DO NOT SELL... We are not short of money. I would not even take ridiculous money for him. He is young and already one of the top players in the championship... Also if we are promoted he could adapt to the premier league easily I feel. This would be a disaster. I hope Jewell comes out and says he is not for sale either that or Cresswell himself says he does not want to leave

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ldnj added 11:46 - Jul 25 20% sell-on for Tranmere yet from memory the sell-on for Jordan Rhodes was reported at just 12%, I still can't believe the Rhodes sell-on was so low ...
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blueash78 added 13:51 - Jul 25 casanovacrow- We may jest at such thoughts but I seriously think your not a million miles off. Ambition and older more successful ways of running our club are becoming confined to the history almanacs. May sound pessimistic and an over reaction but really where is the club heading??? Answers on a postcard to IP1 2DA.
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bluearmy4life added 17:18 - Jul 25 Paul Lambert.... Foxtrot Oscar! Do not sell simple. 3.5m is a good offer but he is by far one of the best players we have coming through. If the club sell for the money then I simply don't have any faith in the board. Cressy hopefully will wait and hopefully we can re-pay him when he is in the premier league with us one day.
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chepstowblue added 17:48 - Jul 25 A comical link. A decent young player but nowhere near good enough for the premier.Cannot for one minute see this happening.
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runningout added 19:11 - Jul 25 sorry, but do admire Lambert for football reasons.. even if he ex sc*mbag..
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TangoAlphaNovember added 21:25 - Jul 25 BLUEBADGER.....HA,Ha,Ha,Ha......stop...please my sides ache and I am going to wet myself....Ha,Ha....you are a wag.... Oh go on then just a bit more.....Ha,Ha,Ha...you teaser DALEYITFC...I was feeling down in the dumps about this news item until I read your alternative take on it and now I feel much better...I love your posts..and your Avatar is VERY scarey
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