TEAMtalk has reported that Newcastle United are interested in Aston Villa full-back Ashley Young. Fellow relegation rivals Watford and Norwich City are said to be interested too.
Young returned to Villa Park last summer on a one-year deal from Inter Milan. However, after replacing former manager Dean Smith, the report claims new boss Steven Gerrard wants to rid of the ex-England international.
The arrival of Lucas Digne would suggest that Young isn’t in his starting XI plans. The Frenchman and Matty Cash would appear to be his first-choice full-backs, if the lineup he put out against Everton is anything to go by.
Signing Young wouldn’t improve Newcastle’s exisiting options at full-back
The Magpies already have Kieran Trippier and Javier Manquillo as options in the right-back positions. As for left-backs, we have Paul Dummett, Matt Ritchie and Jamal Lewis (who is returning from injury). If they were to sign another left-back, you’d want a bigger improvement than a 36-year-old Young.
He has Premier League experience, but he’s not getting any younger. Signing him would be an incredibly short-term addition. The likes of Dummett and Lewis could do a job just as well.
The Toon Army have been linked with Sassuolo left-back Rogerio according to TNT Sports Brasil. He is younger but would be a risk. Little is known about the Brazilian and pressure would be on him from the off.
The other two options make much more sense for Young. Norwich are managed by Dean Smith, who brought him back to Villa last year. The opportunity to have another chance under a manager he already knows well would make a lot of sense.
However, last summer the veteran was in talks for a return to former club in Watford, as reported by Sky Sports. He made a name for himself with the Hornets in the 2006/07 season.
Both Norwich and Watford seem like more realistic outcomes for Ashley Young. He is reunited with a former manager in Dean Smith or with a sense of familiarity at Vicarage Road.
Newcastle already have fine options in the left-back position. If they were to bring one to Tyneside they would have to be significantly better.
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