Ashley Young has confirmed his Premier League return by signing with former club Aston Villa.
The 35-year-old, who will leave Inter at the end of the month when his contract expires, had been attracting interest from Watford and Burnley before Dean Smith's side came calling.
The former England international has signed a one-year deal with Villa.
What was said?
“It feels amazing to be back, it feels like I’ve not left,” Young told VillaTV. “I’m just delighted to be back, seeing some old faces, being back at the training ground, seeing the facilities and how well they’ve grown.
“You can see how much the club has evolved since my time and I’m just ready to get down to work now.”
Villa head coach Dean Smith told the club's website: “Ashley brings with him a wealth of experience of top-level football both at club and international level and he is joining having just won a league championship in Italy.
“He is a player who can play in a number of positions and, having spoken to him at length, I know he is determined to make a real impact with us this season.”
Young's career to date
Young spent four years with Villa after joining from Watford in 2007 and was a pivotal part of then-manager Martin O'Neill's side.
Indeed, Villa pushed for Champions League qualification in the 2009-10 season, with Young, along with James Milner, starring, although he would eventually go on to join Manchester United in 2011.
He won five trophies at Old Trafford, including the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup, before departing for Inter in 2020.
Under Antonio Conte's management, Young would win the Serie A title in the 2020-21 campaign, with the 35-year-old now having decided to head back to England following the departure of the former Inter head coach.
On the international stage, Young earned 39 caps for England, scoring seven times.
Any other business at Villa?
As confirmed by Goal, Villa have had a £25 million ($35m) bid for Emile Smith Rowe rejected by Arsenal.
The north Londoners, who sold Emiliano Martinez to their Premier League rivals last summer, are keen to hold onto the England Under-21 international and are in talks to renew his contract.
This comes after Villa signed Norwich playmaker Emi Buendia for £35m ($50m), who was also on the Gunners' transfer radar.
Smith's side have also decided to release Ahmed Elmohamady, Neil Taylor and Tom Heaton, while Mbwana Samatta has been sold to Fenerbahce for an undisclosed fee.
