Ashley Young set to stay at Villa
Friday 24th December 2010, 11:29AM GMT.
Ashley Young will remain at Villa until at least the summer unless the club receive a “crazy money” offer for the player during the January transfer window.
Manchester United and Liverpool are among the clubs that have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old winger who is out of contract in 18 months’ time.
Young would be able to open negotiations with other clubs in 12 months which would see him leave Villa Park in summer of 2012 for nothing. He had been set to sign a new contract with the claret and blues earlier this year but pulled out of the deal. That brought his long-term commitment to Villa into question.
The former Watford man has recently moved back to Hertfordshire and is currently without an agent, having left his advisor.
But despite Young’s stance manager Gerard Houllier, who held meetings with owner Randy Lerner earlier in the week, would be happy to let the England international’s contract run down in the hope that he can reopen talks at the end of the season.
“Ashley knows that the club’s will is to keep him. I’ll keep him until the end of his contract and I’ll keep the club developing,” said Houllier.
“You have to be brave to do that. Mr Lerner is brave and I am brave.
“Ashley told us very clearly that he would like to end this season and see what he’ll do and we respect that.
“Let’s wait and see. At the moment I can tell you that we’ll assess things a bit later on. If someone comes with crazy money, yes. But in the meantime I don’t think he’ll leave in January. ”
Houllier also confirmed Young faces a late fitness test ahead of Villa’s Boxing Day fixture against Tottenham as he battles back from a knee problem picked up in the 2-1 win over Albion.
“Ashley is touch and go at the moment,” added Houllier.
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