Bruce Rubbishes Villa Link

Steve Bruce has rubbished reports linking Matthew Upson with a move to Villa in January.

With January transfer rumours gaining pace, recent reports have linked the Vile's cash with our want away centre half but Bruce has again stressed that there are no guarantees that Upson will be leaving anyway.

Bruce also revealed that he speaks quite regularly with Martin O'Neill but that Upson's name has never cropped up so even if Blues do receive an offer they can't turn down, it won't be from Villa.

'The media spotlight is going to be there all the time now, I only spoke to Martin O'Neill a couple of weeks ago and he never mentioned Upson to me.

'Where that has come from, I don't know. It could be pie in the sky and typical of the journalist involved.

'We have got Matthew for 18 months, so there is no real big rush. I have to protect our investment. Unless it is an ridiculous offer, and every player has got his price, nothing is happening.

'If we have to sell Matt in the summer, that might be more advantageous to all of us and more advantageous to Matthew, too.'

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