Ashley Young’s contract is going to end next season and Liverpool are planning to bring him to Anfield. Young, who scored in England’s 2-1 win against Denmark last week, has 17 months left on his contract and Villa are desperate for him to pledge his future to the club.

However, Liverpool and Manchester United remain keen to strike a £12m deal in the summer.Villa manager Gerard Houllier said: ‘He (Ashley Young) said he would talk about that at the end of the season and we will respect that. We know that some clubs could be interested in him but he could also be interested by Aston Villa.’

Fans have stopped buying Ashley Young Shirts in recent months, but would jump back right behind him if he was to commit his future to the club.