Villa terminate Balaban's contract
BIRMINGHAM, England -- Aston Villa have terminated the contract of Croatian striker Bosko Balaban in a cost-cutting measure.
The 25-year-old joined Villa in 2001 on a five-year contract, but failed to make a single league start for the club, failing to score in eight appearances as a substitute. Balaban was loaned to former club Dynamo Zagreb last season.
Villa are in the process of trimming their wage bill after reporting full-year pre-tax losses of almost $20 million in August.
In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Villa said they would incur a $5.5 million trading loss in terminating Balaban's contract, but would save a further $3 million in wages costs over the remaining years of the contract.
