Young rejects Hammers
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Watfords England Under-21 star Ashley Young has turned down a chance to join West Ham in a £9.65million move.
The Hornets have rejected a series of bids from various clubs and the price has steadily crept up from a starting point of £5million. However, the offer of £8million up front and a potential £1.65million to come based on clauses in the contract proved too much for Aidy Boothroyd and the Watford board to resist.
Having accepted the offer it was down to Young to agree terms with the Hammers but he refused to even discuss joining them. The optimists among the Hornets fans will be hopeful his decision is based on a desire to remain at Vicarage Road and further his career there alongside his younger brothers who are both in the Watford academy. The more pessimistic will point to the fact that West Ham are likely to be relegated this season alongside the Hornets and suspect that Young is instead holding out for Tottenham or Villa to match the asking price so that he remains a Premier League player next season.
Watford would be keen on a players-plus-cash deal with Spurs to bring Calum Davenport and Wayne Routledge to Vicarage Road, and a renewed bid from the White Hart Lane outfit could be on the cards now that they know the price needed to prise Young away from Hertfordshire. Watford fans will be hoping that this latest twist in the Young saga will delay the seemingly inevitable long enough for him to pull on the yellow shirt one more time at Aston Villa on Saturday.
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