Manchester United have informed winger Ashley Young that he will not be leaving the club during this transfer window, according to The Sun.
Young established himself as one the Premier League’s best wingers during his time at Aston Villa. It earned him a move to Manchester United, where he settled in immediately under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson.
However, he fast fell out of favour at Old Trafford. Since Jose Mourinho took the reigns at United in the summer, Young has found his opportunities severely limited. He has made just nine appearances so far this campaign, failing to find the back of the net in any of those.
As per The Sun, Young asked Mourinho to allow him to go out on loan in search of regular first-team football. However, the tabloid believe that he has been informed that he is going nowhere this month. The former England international will have to wait until the summer to leave United.
After five and a half years at Old Trafford, Ashley Young may have expected to be able to note down more than just one Premier League title, one FA Cup win and a Community Shield in the achievements section of his CV.
For most professional footballers, that trophy trio would represent glory beyond their dreams, but a player arriving at United under Sir Alex Ferguson would have been demanded to strive for significantly more.
It is not Young’s fault that he arrived at what would prove to be the start of a lean period in the club’s recent history.
But the time has now come for a parting of the ways.
Young is a great character and one of football’s good guys – it was he who answered the call of a dying fan to attend an Old Trafford game from one of the players’ boxes.
But he deserves the chance to play regular football, while United are hardly benefiting from keeping him on the books.
Young remains a good squad member, able to fill a hole in time of need and Mourinho is not interested in letting the former Aston Villa man go this month, whether permanently or on loan.
But Young plays in the only two positions that United have, in Mourinho’s own words, an overbooking.