German bid gathers momentum

The Bundesliga's sporting director Dietmar Beiersdorfer underlined his club's desire to land the 24-year-old, fluttering: "Milan is a quick, direct striker who will increase our tactical possibilities in our attacking play." I've tried the line myself and it seldom works, but Baros is reportedly far more receptive to Hamburg's advances. He has been quoted in the German press as saying: "HSV is a very large and good club, with which I want to win titles", with newspaper Das Bild adding that Baros recently said that his main aim is play in European competition.

Villa look unlikely to grace the big stage for a couple of years so Hamburg, whose board agreed to proceed with his pursuit on Tuesday, appear a logical answer. However, like all love stories – there is a baddie. Here he takes the guise of the Dr No-like Doug Ellis who is apparently holding out for a figure of £10m. "It's true to say we've had a preliminary call from Hamburg, but nothing more than that," he chuckled, knowingly. "Milan has got two years left on his contract and his agent has assured us that despite the interest from Germany, he's happy at Aston Villa and is not looking to leave." At that, the doors at the back of the press room were kicked open and a lederhosen-clad Baros stumbled in, hoisting a beer stein aloft as he sang 'Sag was kann schoner sein'.