• Young interests Tottenham and Liverpool
• Milner poised to join Manchester City
Aston Villa could face further upheaval this summer after it emerged that Martin O’Neill may struggle to keep hold of Ashley Young as well as James Milner. Young has caught the eye of leading Premier League teams over the past two years, including Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as a number of top European clubs. Villa may well find it difficult to persuade the England international to stay if interest crystallises into a formal offer.
Young, 25, is happy at Villa but also fiercely ambitious and keen to regain his England place after missing out on the World Cup. With Milner set to join Manchester City, provided Villa’s valuation is met, O’Neill will not want to contemplate losing Young in the same transfer window.
The former Watford winger remains one of the club’s most influential players, despite failing to reproduce the form last season that saw him win the Professional Footballers Association’s young player of the year award in 2009. O’Neill has long regarded Young as integral to his plans and would almost certainly value him at more than double the £9.6m Villa paid Watford three and a half years ago.
Tottenham have considered making a move for Young but felt it would be impossible to prise him out of Villa Park while the two clubs were operating on an equal footing in the Premier League. Whether that interest is rekindled after Tottenham’s top-four finish last season remains to be seen. Harry Redknapp, Spurs’ manager, is pursuing Joe Cole, who is available on a free transfer from Chelsea.
Manchester City inquired about Young before the end of the season but their pursuit of Milner and recent signing of the Spain international David Silva make it unlikely that they will take things further. Liverpool’s interest would be dependent on possible departures from Anfield. There have also been suggestions that Young’s name has appeared on Internazionale’s radar since Rafael Benítez took over at the Italian champions.
Villa are expected to attempt to head off any interest by seeking to tie Young to an improved long-term contract. He has just entered the final two years of a four-year deal and talks over new terms are set to begin before the transfer window closes. How active Villa are in the market between now and then is likely to be strongly linked to what happens with Milner. Randy Lerner, the club’s chairman, suggested at the end of last season that there would be a “sell to buy” policy.
Aston VillaStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk
