• Villa fear Champions League football could lure winger away
• Young’s £65k-per-week wages may deter Tottenham

Aston Villa are set to hold talks to resolve Ashley Young’s future this week as the Midlands club seek to put together a new contract offer that will keep the winger out of Tottenham Hotspur’s clutches.

Young has less than two years remaining on his current deal and has stated this summer that he would be happy to discuss extending his stay at the club beyond the summer of 2012. Villa have yet to make a formal offer to the 25-year-old but the subject of a new contract has been on the agenda for several weeks and is set to form a key part of discussions between the two parties before the weekend.

Although Tottenham are keen to sign Young and, if they win their play-off, would be able to offer the prospect of playing in the Champions League this season, the London club would not be in a position to significantly increase his salary. Young, who was recalled to the England squad for the friendly against Hungary on Wednesday, is the top-paid player at Villa Park, earning close to £65,000 per week, and Spurs would be reluctant to go above that level because of their wage structure.

Villa have been trying to reduce their own wage bill, which climbed by 42% in the accounts for the 2008‑09 season, but the club also appreciate the importance of holding on to one of their most influential players at a time when James Milner is on the verge of joining Manchester City. Villa supporters would not want to countenance losing Milner and Young in the same summer.

Although Young is ambitious and eager to play in the Champions League, he is known to have enjoyed the freedom that Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager, has given him during pre-season, when he has often been deployed in a role just off the main striker and encouraged to roam. Whether he will retain that position when the season starts remains to be seen, with much likely to depend on the comings and goings at Villa this week.

O’Neill suggested on Friday night that the Milner deal, which is expected to involve Stephen Ireland moving in the opposite direction, could be completed over the weekend but there was no sign of any progress last night. The reason for the impasse after an agreement appeared to be so close is unclear, although Manchester City have indicated that the ball is in Villa’s court.

Milner will join the England squad today and if the transfer is not resolved by the close of play it could well have to wait until later in the week because of the Hungary match. Although the Football Association may decide to give Milner permission to head to City for talks and a medical tomorrow if that was required, the player is believed to be uneasy about being away from the England set-up 24 hours before a game.

Aston VillaTransfer windowStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk

In the blue parish of west London all supporter chat will now concern the six games between Chelsea and a first Double. But, after Aston Villa were soundly beaten on a controversial evening, John Terry spoke for the first time of how the club had picked itself up following the 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers last month.

That result followed Chelsea’s elimination from the Champions League by José Mourinho’s Inter. Yet since that dark day in Blackburn four consecutive victories and 17 goals have followed to leave Chelsea a point ahead of Manchester United with a game in hand after yesterday’s draw by the champions at Blackburn and with a Cup final date next month.

“We had the disappointment of going out of the Champions League. It meant our focus was no longer on that, that we could focus only on the league, and we went to Blackburn hoping we could win and keep our place at the top. But we didn’t,” Terry said.

This provoked meetings between players and their manager, Carlo Ancelotti. “We had a couple. It goes with the territory, nothing to really write home about. We knew we were disappointing and didn’t really show the fight,” Terry said. “When you go to those places you have to show the fight and that you want it more than them. On that day Blackburn wanted it more than us. They showed more fight than we did, which was not acceptable.”

As captain had he led the way in thrashing out the problem? “Yes. That’s what I’ve done along with Lamps [Frank Lampard] and the other big characters we’ve got here. People like Bally [Michael Ballack] and Petr Cech, who have been through a lot, players worth their weight in gold at a bad time.

“Everyone spoke their mind, we got a few things off our chests that we were feeling and we went again. I don’t want to make too much of a big thing of it but we had a discussion between us, the management, and players, everyone spoke honestly, it was a chance to get it off our chest.”

After second-half goals from Didier Drogba, Lampard and Florent Malouda killed off a fading Villa team Martin O’Neill also needed to vent a little about the performance of the referee, Howard Webb. The Northern Irishman was furious on two counts, and he had a case.

First was Webb’s decision on 15 minutes to turn down a penalty appeal after Mikel Obi John seemed to level Gabriel Agbonlahor in the area. That had O’Neill hopping around in fury. And, when Terry launched a second-half assault on James Milner’s knee, the manager, along with his players, was equally astonished that Webb flourished merely a yellow card.

Having claimed Terry’s tackle might have ended Milner’s career, O’Neill said he would take up Webb’s display with Mike Riley, head of the referees’ board. “I’d spoken to Mike some weeks ago over the decision here in the Carling Cup final,” he said of Phil Dowd’s failure to dismiss Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic for a foul on Agbonlahor.

“I thought he was quite fair and he sympathised with my plight. He accepted that. And I’m sure he will sympathise with my plight on Monday.”

Milner’s team-mate John Carew claimed Terry “could have sent his lower leg up on to the stand if he hit him right” and O’Neill refused to soften his stance, calling for Terry to apologise.

He said: “He’s [Milner] very fortunate. It was off the ground. Even that in itself is not enough to save you all the time. Listen, forget about the result. In two weeks’ time, it’s forgotten. We’ve got beaten in a game and people will say that they would’ve got beaten anyway, Chelsea scored a couple of goals at the end. I’m not bothered about that. I just want Milner to be fit, to take his rightful place in that squad to go to South Africa. That would be great. I would hope that an apology into the dressing room [may be forthcoming ].”

Did he think this would suffice as Milner, who pointedly refused to discuss the incident after the game, will be a World Cup team-mate of Terry’s? “I really don’t know. That would be something that James and John Terry could be talking about,” O’Neill added.

Chelsea are at home to Bolton on Tuesday in the quest for that first Double.

FA CupAston VillaChelseaJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk