Manchester United winger Ashley Young is definitely a phenomenon worth discussion. Brought in by Sir Alex Ferguson from Aston Villa, Young impressed many with his performances out on the wing. His ability to take part in out and out wing-play was praised hugely by both the manager and the United fans.
His debut season with Manchester United has been the only memorable one to date as in the following years, he has failed to convince the United faithful and has done little to justify his price tag and the hype that surrounded his move to Old Trafford. Apart from a brilliant performance in the astounding 8-2 win over Arsenal, his excellent performances have come few and far between for United’s liking.
He is currently on the fringes of the United team and it seems as if Mourinho will let him go in January, in order to make room for fresh signings that can do Manchester United a world of good. In recent times, he has also been deployed at right as well as a left back. Defence is obviously not his preferred position and it is something that should worry him deeply.
He is clearly not needed as an attacking threat anymore as United have way too many players in that position. Lingard, Martial, Rashford, Mata have all played there this season. Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s recent integration into the team has also posed a big threat to Ashley Young’s place in the side. It looks more and more likely that he will be let go of in January, along with many of the others that constitute the so-called ‘deadwood’ at Old Trafford.
At 31, he is probably past his peak. There is no room for improvement. But he still has loads of pace and his final ball isn’t too shabby either. There are definitely a few Premier League clubs that could do with Ashley Young’s talents. Here are a few possible destinations for Ashley Young to consider, in order to finish his playing career in a gracious manner as opposed to warming the Old Trafford bench –
Watford
Young actually started out with his playing career at Watford, coming up through the ranks at the London club’s academy. He eventually left for Aston Villa after impressing with Watford. They have been linked with a move for Young as their excellent start to the campaign has recently hit somewhat of a roadblock as Walter Mazarri’s side have been poor. Young could add significant impetus to the Watford wings.
His service-minded approach play could serve the likes of Odion Ighalo, Troy Deeney and Stefano Okaka well. Roberto Pereyra is also another player that has impressed for Watford this season. The presence of such stars could entice Young into making a return to his boyhood club, where it all started for him. They sit comfortably above anywhere close to the relegation zone in 11th place and are only 3 points off of Young’s current club, Manchester United. Definitely, a move that could come to fruition in January.
Everton
Ronald Koeman’s appointment in the summer was met with a lot of excitement and expectations at the same time. The initial few weeks of the season showed Everton in good light, as they were unbeaten for a bit and looked like they could even give some of the bigger clubs a good run in contention for the Champions League places. But as the season has gone on, they have faltered and have slipped down to 8th place, level on points with West Brom.
Yannick Bolasie was brought in from Crystal Palace and although he started the season off with aplomb, his form too has tapered off and this has had a significant impact on their fortunes in the league. Mirallas too hasn’t been on-song. This coupled with Deulofeu’s inability to put in consistent performances has seen Everton linked with a move for Ashley Young. He would definitely fit into the style of play at Everton as they rely heavily on service from their wide players and this is something that Ashley Young can provide.
West Brom
Having recently been taken over by a foreign consortium, there is currently a willingness from the West Brom bosses to spend big. Tony Pulis has himself come out and said that West Brom would be willing to spend big if they find the right kind of players. Winger Chadli has impressed since coming in the summer from Tottenham, but they are clearly on the look-out for quality additions and Ashley Young definitely fits the bill to perfection.
Signing a player of his standard would significantly improve the club’s squad quality, something that has been lacking in the past few seasons. But they currently sit in 7th place and it would be a big show of intent to get a player like Young in. It’s also the right time to invest big on transfers to ensure the club remain in the top half of the Premier League table.