• Young's wage demands believed to be the stumbling
block
• Aston Villa were keen to get the full-back off their wage
bill
Luke Young's proposed transfer to Liverpool
collapsed today, leaving the full-back facing an uncertain
future at Aston Villa.
Liverpool had agreed a £2.5m fee with Villa on Tuesday for the
former England international but there were suggestions that Young
was unable to agree personal terms at Anfield as well as being
reluctant to relocate to the north.
The news will come as a disappointment to Liverpool and Villa.
Roy Hodgson, the Liverpool manager, was keen to bring in the
experienced defender to improve his options at full-back and also
increase his quota of home-grown players, while Villa were eager to
move on one of their higher earners as they look to reduce their
£70m annual wage bill. Young was earning more than £2m a year at
Villa and has three years remaining on his contract, with further
signing-on fees due over the course of that period.
Liverpool had initially indicated Young would have to lower his
demands, which have deterred interest from other clubs this summer,
although when Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager, reported earlier
in the week that a bid had been accepted it began to look like a
deal might go through. That is no longer the case, leaving Young to
continue his pre-season training in Portugal with Villa and O'Neill
cursing a missed opportunity to free up some money.
The Villa manager has been told he will have to operate within
the constraints of a "sell-to-buy" policy this summer, accentuating
the need to move on a number of players on the periphery. At the
moment, however, Steve Sidwell, Nigel-Reo-Coker, Habib Beye, Curtis
Davies, Nicky Shorey and Young all remain Villa players. There has
also been no progress with James Milner's situation despite ongoing
negotiations between Manchester City and Villa.
