Aston Villa Transfer News: Shock Buyout Clause Could See Delph Departure

Manchester City eyeing England international.

As if the prospect of losing both Ron Vlaar and Christian Benteke wasn't enough it has emerged that Villa could be set to lose another of their star players. The Mirror are reporting that the new contract signed by Fabian Delph in January contains an extraordinary release clause of "around £10 million" which would clearly not be an issue for Manchester City. After the departures of several homegrown players, Pellegrini is keen to add English players to their ranks. If Delph could be captured for the reported fee it would be quite the bargain for the England international, who would be a cheaper alternative than rumoured target Jack Wilshere. Despite the speculation, fan-favourite Delph said he wanted to prove there was loyalty in football when he signed a new contract in January and the news was something of a surprise for the Villa faithful. Villa spent around £6 million on bringing Delph to the Midlands in 2009 and after bad luck with injuries the midfielder has shone over the past few seasons. The 25-year-old put in several good performances for the Villans this season and played a key part in Sherwood's survival battle as well as scoring two goals on their FA Cup run. Such a move would be a blow for Tim Sherwood who gave the ex-Leeds midfielder the captain's armband and could face a difficult rebuilding job as a club takeover reportedly nears completion. Should Delph sign for Man City or stay and play regular, guaranteed first team football at Villa? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.
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