Friedel set for Liverpool return

Aston Villa's veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel is poised to snub the claret and blues' offer of a new contract to rejoin former club Liverpool this summer.

Friedel's current deal runs out next month and he is ready to reject a one year extension at Villa Park in favour of two years at Anfield.

The American stopper, who turned 40 last week, is expected to join Kenny Dalglish's Reds as understudy to Spanish keeper Pepe Reina.

He has been No.1 throughout his three years at Villa, but the claret and blues are unable to give him assurances he will be first choice next season.

Villa plan a complete overhaul of their goalkeeping department during the close season with fellow USA keeper Brad Guzan also set to leave.

The length of Liverpool's contract offer and the proximity of Anfield and the Melwood training complex to his north west home are key factors.

Friedel, who kept a clean sheet on his 400th Premier League appearance in Sunday's 1-0 win over Liverpool, endured a frustrating first spell on Merseyside.

Between 1997 and 2000 he provided occasional back-up to David James and Sander Westerveld before Gerard Houllier allowed him to join Blackburn on a free transfer.

Meanwhile, Darren Bent is doing his utmost to persuade another Liverpool target, Ashley Young, to stay at Villa to continue their club and country double act.

Villa's record signing has been 'in his ear' every day in training and will make one final attempt to convince Young when they link up with England next month.

Young is expected to be the subject of big money bids from the Premier League's elite clubs including Manchester United and Liverpool this summer.

The 25-year-old winger-cum-striker has a year left of his current contract but has stalled over signing Villa's bumper new offer.

Villa are reluctant sellers but would want at least £20 million for Young who Martin O'Neill signed for £9 million from Watford.

But Bent will use England's June 4 Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland for a last ditch bid to keep Young, who has also been selected along with Stewart Downing.  

"Every day I'm in his ear going, 'Please just give us one more year, one more year, one more year!" said Bent.

"I'm sure when we're away with England I'll be giving it the same.

"Ash has been fantastic for Aston Villa. There's not one person who could say that he hasn't served his time here in the last four or five years.

"I think he's been fantastic and if we could get another year out of him or two years then it would be brilliant."

"When you've got teams like Manchester United and other Champions League sides coming in for him then it makes it very difficult, but if we can keep hold of him I'll be delighted.

"I don't know if it's a done deal yet. It's about ambitions at the end of the day.

"When Manchester United and Chelsea and those kind of clubs come calling it makes it difficult.

"I don't know whether the other players have been trying to convince him to stay but I know I have."

Source: Birmingham Mail

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