Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will not consider selling Ashley Young to Tottenham.

The Guardian says O'Neill will not countenance the possibility of the winger moving to Tottenham Hotspur, despite Harry Redknapp's interest in signing the England international. The Villa manager will not consider selling Young to a club that is competing at a similar level in the Premier League and he also has no intention of accepting a player-exchange deal for his most valuable asset.

That stance effectively closes the door on Spurs, who would not be in a position to fund the straight cash offer that could tempt Villa to think twice about allowing the 24-year-old to leave despite his significance to the team.