Aston Villa have confirmed that Ashley Young will leave the club when his current contract expires at the end of next month.
The 37-year-old re-joined us in 2021, and made 32 appearances in all competitions last season as he continued to make an important contribution for Unai Emery.
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His leadership, experience and versatility were all key attributes within the squad, and it had been felt that he had perhaps done enough to secure another year at least to continue to play a key role for Emery as Villa look to compete on multiple fronts next season.
However, as per the club’s official site, they have confirmed that the decision has been made for Young to move on this summer, and so it remains to be seen what comes next for both parties.
It’s hoped that Young gets a move to another club if he intends on continuing his playing career, while Villa will hopefully have big plans to strengthen the squad significantly this summer to ensure we build on our progress last season, and continue to become increasingly competitive.
The veteran offered quality depth in the full-back roles this past season to provide cover for the likes of Matty Cash and Alex Moreno, and so it will be interesting to see who is brought in to fill that gap, and perhaps offer sterner competition for places in both positions.
From a sentimental perspective, it would have been a nice full-circle moment for Young to represent us in Europe again next season, but he ultimately achieved his main objective on re-joining the club, as he has regularly stressed that Villa should be involved in European competitions given the size, infrastructure and history of the club.
In that sense, it’s mission accomplished for him, and we thank him for his professionalism, commitment and hard work in getting us back to this point as well as wishing him all the best for the future.