Football scenes you won’t see in 09/10, No.1532
The enforced loss of Martin Laursen was regrettable. The same goes for the departure of Gareth Barry. But the loss of Ashley Young (who you voted overwhelmingly as Villa’s most indispensable player) would be nothing short of disastrous for Martin O’Neill and co.
Marca, amongst other sources, report today that Barcelona are set to offer around €30m to Aston Villa for Young. Scary news for all Villa fans, I’m sure, especially if you believe the reports that Young is unhappy with the lack of big-name siginings by his club.
That said, I’m 95% sure that Young will stay at Villa for at least one more season. For one thing, going to Barca would not necessarily be good for his career. I don’t see how he’d force his way into the starting XI, at least not in his first season at the Camp Nou. In a way, Barcelona is too big a step-up for Young.
Plus Young owes O’Neill. Villa’s boss has been instrumental in the development of Young into a world-class prospect, and I think by staying at Villa, Young can improve further.
No doubt Villa will struggle to keep Young in future seasons, but for now he’s at the right club.