Veteran former England international Ashley Young is reportedly likely to join the Blues this summer.

Young, who turned 40 earlier this month, is a free agent having been released by Everton at the end of the season after two years at Goodison Park. Despite his age, he made 36 appearances last season.

According to TalkSPORT, the right-sided full-back or winger had been interesting Watford, where he started his career and where he might have been named captain, but his wage demands didn’t fit into their structure and he is now likely to join the Blues.


Earlier in the summer, rumours circulated that Young was on Town’s radar with a player-coach role mooted, Lee Grant having left the backroom staff to take over as Huddersfield boss.

Meanwhile, TWTD understands Young’s son Tyler has been among the trialists featuring for the U21s in pre-season. The 19-year-old was released by Peterborough at the end of last season.

Young senior, who if he completes his move will become the club’s oldest ever signing, made his breakthrough with the Hornets in 2003 having been at the club since he was 10.

Capped by England 39 times, scoring seven goals, Stevenage-born moved on to Aston Villa in 2007 and then Manchester United four years later and was at the club after Kieran McKenna had been promoted to the first-team staff.

A spell at Inter Milan, then a return to Aston Villa following prior to joining Everton in July 2023.

Speaking when McKenna was in discussions with Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester United last summer, Young was full of praise for the Northern Irishman.

“I think he's got everything to be a top, top manager,” he told TalkSPORT. “I worked with him at Manchester United and saw how much passion he’s got for football, the love he’s got for football and just how he wants to be successful.

“He’s seen as one of those managers. At Ipswich they want to play football, they want to be expansive, they want to get on the front foot.

“Obviously, he's younger than me, he's just one of those coaches that wants to be successful. He’s got everything there to be a successful manager, no disrespect to Ipswich, at a bigger club.”

Photo: MI News via Reuters Connect

bugblatter added 12:12 - Jul 21 Ashley 'not so' Young more like.
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Bazza8564 added 12:13 - Jul 21 Useful guy to have around, very ,much like Button. Coaching staff will be better for his experience, cant see him playing an awful lot but he does give us cover and it's a freebie.....
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MaySixth added 12:15 - Jul 21 Experienced head, training ground presence, Lee Grant replacement
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EuanTown added 12:20 - Jul 21 I'll get in there first with the , well that makes 29, so now 4 gotta go to make the 25. There I said it first to save anyone else panicking over it.
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blues1 added 12:23 - Jul 21 EuanTown. How do you work out hed make 29 when so far weve signed 3 but with the loan players we've lost 7.
1

Cookieboy added 12:24 - Jul 21 Get Massimo back !!!
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Guthrum added 12:27 - Jul 21 blues1 - Players we loaned out who have returned, e.g. Humphreys, who count towards the 25.
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cressi added 12:29 - Jul 21 Played lots of games at Everton very consistent we need experience and talkers in the side when u to a pumped up Birmingham on a Fri night.
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Marcus added 12:33 - Jul 21 Euan - are you sure? Yoofs don't count towards the 25
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Mr_Evans added 12:37 - Jul 21 I make the current squad as: 3x GK: Walton, Palmer & Button. Slicker going out on loan and Muric moved on. 2x LB: Townsend & Davis 4x CB: Kipré, Greaves, Wolf & O’Shea. Baggott loaned out. 2x RB: Johnson & H Clarke. If Young comes in, we may see H Clarke moved on 3x CM: Matusiwa, Taylor & Humphries. Need another 1 or 2 here. 6x RW, LW & CAM: Ogbene, Philogene, Chaplin, Szmodics, J Clarke & Broadhead. Interesting to see if Burns will be registered if he’s out until nearly Christmas time. Omari sold. 2x ST: Hirst & Ali. 1 needed and if a 2nd comes in, may Ali moved on. So that’s 23 at the mo.

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RIPbobby added 12:39 - Jul 21 Is this taking YOUNG and ENGLISH remit a bit too far? Almost sounds like an AI answer to the prompt... Name some young English players that might be worth a bit? Lol
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JewellintheTown added 12:39 - Jul 21 Can see him working well on coaching staff, but player? Really? 40 years old? Taking up a squad position, or do over 40's not count? He must be super fit and sharp still if he does as we've just got rid of much relatively younger players we thought too old.
1

BlueInBerks added 12:43 - Jul 21 Excellent appointment. We're moving towards a younger squad with longevity over multiple seasons (read: resale value). Experience like his doesn't normally come cheap (although salary likely to be significant), but more important is what he can do for our defence.
1

darkhorse28 added 12:47 - Jul 21 I’m sure he’ll be very good off the pitch. We do seem to really struggle to get proven quality, with experience off the pitch. There’s definitely some ego’s getting in the way here…, we need better than Ashton, and we need support for McKenna that has the qualities, and skills where he lacks…, that’s what building a performance elite team is. The right bums on seats. I’m not sure McKenna and Ashton still know where the gaps are…, and don’t think they can process where they fall well short. Even if young is brilliant in the training pitch, and I’m sure he is, that’s not where we are weakest. Strategy, contingency, talent ID, tactical analysis, all are areas where we are miles off the pace. After signing young…, they still will be. We need proven experience…, not another coach who if he does great will leave in 12 months to be a manger. Our long term planning and contingency, is genuinely really really poor. This is why Gamechanger are out. We need owners that see where the problems actually are. McKenna isn’t a strategist. That’s now obvious. And that’s not to say he’s not a fantastic coach …, they’re very different skill sets.

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slade1 added 12:48 - Jul 21 Ronaldo is still playing at 40 Stanley Matthews played when he was 50 just saying lol
2

MickMillsTash added 12:58 - Jul 21 Like the ideas, good at Portman Road last year takes set pieces and we may need a new one of those soon But can't see him playing 46 games
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readtheleaguetable added 13:10 - Jul 21 He’s nowhere near our oldest signing at 40. Finidi George was 73 ! Besides, Ashley will never age. He will “stay forever Young”!
15

ipswichboi added 13:11 - Jul 21 Lol. I'm sure dark horse is just asking chat GPT to write a generic moan to every story
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 13:15 - Jul 21 Dark horse do u really believe all that or are u trolling?
0

Tedray added 13:20 - Jul 21 underwhelming - seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel - perhaps we have become a rest home for geriatric footballers - hope i am wrong
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gkroon89 added 13:29 - Jul 21 No thank you. Get someone in who is actually going to bring value on the pitch. Not buying the experienced head thing. We have two capable RB’s for the Championship already in Johnson and Clarke.
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blues1 added 14:08 - Jul 21 Guthrum.yes,,and baggott too. But thats still 3 in 5 out. Can see baggott leaving too.
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blues1 added 14:14 - Jul 21 Jewellinthe town. Giggs was still playing regularly in the pl at 40, And as fit as ever. Ronaldo still playing at 40. . Stanley Matthews was playing still at 55. And that was when players were not as fit as they are nowadays. Think its likely should Young sign, that he wont be playing every game, with it apparently being a player coach role.
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blueoutlook added 14:26 - Jul 21 Maybe off the pitch,but we don’t need a 39 year old taking up a squad place.
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Linkboy13 added 15:14 - Jul 21 Some fans on here are impossible to please he made 36 appearances for Everton last season that's all that matters. Most of our squad struggled to cope with the Premier league so this would be a major improvement to the team especially in the championship so as long as it's a short term deal it's a no brainer sign him on.
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