ASTON Villa have accepted a �2.5million bid from Liverpool for defender Luke Young.

Roy Hodgson has long been an admirer of the versatile defender, and tried to sign him for Fulham earlier in the year when he was in charge.

The 31-year-old can operate in both full back positions, of which the Anfield club are short of after the departure of Fabio Aur�lio, Phillipp Degen and Emiliano Ins�a’s imminent move to Fiorentina, and Young would also increase Liverpool’s quota of homegrown players to comply with new Premier League rules.

Villa manager Martin O’Neill said: “There has been an offer from a football club which Luke is mulling over and, if it doesn’t materialise, then he would join us in Portugal.”

The former England international had been told by Villa that he was deemed surplus to requirements, even though he had three years to run on his contract, and was a reported target of Sunderland but the club were unable to match his personal terms, with Young being one of the highest earners at Villa Park.