Unai Emery was fairly tight-lipped but was able to offer a little more clarity about Aston Villa defender Ashley Young’s future after the glorious Brighton victory, amid speculation. The 37-year-old club legend sees his contract expire at the end of June but there could yet be a future for him at Villa Park.
Having made 29 appearances throughout this famous Premier League campaign, Young has definitely had a key role in Villa qualifying for Europe for the first time in 13 years. He may turn 38 in July, but he has shown time and time again that his fitness remains at an exceptionally high level.
Matty Cash often starts ahead of Young when available but that hasn’t stopped the former Manchester United man from making cameo appearances. At times, he’s even been ahead of Cash in the pecking order, with Emery quite often rotating when the fixture congestion became fierce, particularly at the start of the year.
Despite Young’s importance, a decision still hasn’t been made about a potential new contract. Speculation over the past few days has been mixed, with some reports suggesting he will extend and others saying he won’t. Emery’s response was a little reserved. “I told him last week I will analyse his situation and how we want to do the next season with our squad,” Emery said. “I will tell him asap,” the boss continued.
Young isn’t the only Villa player with his future up in the air as the likes of Lucas Digne, Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Martinez have been linked with moves away. The latter is perhaps the likeliest to stay out of the trio, but there could be plenty of movement in the transfer market as Emery gets a second shot at moulding his ideal squad.
The head coach will certainly have the backing of owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens for whatever he desires in the transfer market, but the direction of Villa’s decisions remains unclear. What is for sure is the next few weeks and months will be exciting for all involved as the Villans look forward to Europa Conference League action.
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