Villa winger Young tops Hodgson's list

The inevitable speculation over Roy Hodgson's first Liverpool signing has begun with Aston Villa's Ashley Young reportedly top of the list.

24 year-old Young has impressed at Villa Park since arriving from Watford in 2006 and enjoyed another good season, scoring five goals and contributing eight assists for Martin O'Neill's side.  Young has already won seven England caps and was considered an outside bet for Fabio Capello's World Cup squad.

The Mail on Sunday speculates that winger Young is at the top of Hodgson's most wanted list, particularly given that he is an English player.

The new Liverpool boss hinted that he will prioritize bringing English signings to Anfield, saying, "We would be foolish not to be aware of the importance of homegrown players with the way UEFA and Premier League rules are going. Otherwise we're going to struggle to get our squad numbers together.

"I think the club have been trying to do that already with younger players like Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling but it takes time for them to come through so we might have to go into the transfer market."

Young has previously been linked with a move to Manchester City and even Barcelona.  Although Aston Villa enjoyed a good season, it remains unclear whether O'Neill will have to sell players before he can make significant summer purchases.  Hodgson himself would likely be forced to sell players before being able to bring the likes of Young to Liverpool.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.