Aston Villa: Ashley Young touted for Watford transfer | OneFootball

Aston Villa have been rather proactive when it comes to bringing new players to the club during the current January transfer window with the likes of Robin Olsen, Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho making their way to Villa Park.

However, it seems as though there could be a late twist in the coming days with Villa having to try and keep hold of one of their current players.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Dean Jones had this to say on the possibility of Watford making a move to sign Ashley Young before the end of the month.

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He said: “A new era at Watford under Roy Hodgson and maybe an old face returning to their squad, from what I’m hearing. Ashley Young is emerging as a potential transfer option from Aston Villa, a return to the club where he began his career.”

As a product of Watford’s youth system, Young eventually joined Villa in 2007 before making the move to Manchester United in 2011.

The 36-year-old returned to Villa during the previous summer transfer window as a free agent after a stint with Inter Milan.

Overall, the Englishman has racked up a total of 203 appearances for Villa across all competitions, scoring 37 goals and providing 61 assists along the way.

Gerrard would be furious

appearing in any of Villa’s four previous league games, Young is highly valued at the Midlands club, especially by Gerrard with the Liverpudlian praising the veteran for his “leadership and standard-setting” qualities.

This suggests how unhappy the Villa boss would be if they were to let him leave this month, especially to another Premier League side. He is evidently a massive player in the dressing room and his experience plays a key part in setting the tone for Gerrard’s ever-improving squad.

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As well as his leadership qualities and ability to offer guidance to some of Villa’s younger players due to his vast experience, the former Watford figure is a useful squad option for Gerrard on the pitch due to his versatility across numerous positions.

As a result, Villa should definitely be trying to keep hold of Young and draw him out of Watford’s clutches given how much of an asset he is for them in different aspects.

Looking ahead further, with his contract at Villa set to expire in the summer, it could also be worth the club approaching the 36-year-old to see if he would be willing to extend his stay there as a player or even in a different capacity.