Ashley Young is set to sign for Everton as a free agent.
As reported by the BBC, Ashley Young has agreed a deal to sign for Everton on a free transfer after his contract with Aston Villa expired at the end of last season.
The 38-year-old will join the Toffees having previously represented Villa, Watford, and Manchester United in the Premier League, and Inter Milan in Serie A. Over the course of his long career, Young has earned Premier League and Serie A winners’ medals, and represented England on 39 occasions.
Sean Dyche will be hoping his experience helps Everton this season. However, journalist Paul Brown, speaking to GiveMeSport, has said, “I think it might be a mistake for Everton to bring in a player of that age. When a club has little money to spend, it’s hard to justify.”
Does Ashley Young to Everton make sense?
Brown is correct to question this decision from the Merseyside club. Everton were lucky to survive in the Premier League last season and they need to raise the level of the squad this summer to ensure they secure safety again this time around. With finances limited, they need to be clever in the market. Poor transfer decisions have been a big contributor to Everton’s recent struggles.
Signing Young, in that context, feels uninspired, even allowing for the fact that defensive cover is needed, with Mason Holgate not in Dyche’s plans.
Young might prove useful for the odd game, or to add some security from the bench, but his arrival doesn’t hint towards any long-term planning going on. The rest of the club’s business this summer needs to be considerably more forward-thinking, otherwise the Goodison Park faithful can expect another miserable, gruelling campaign.