Former Aston Villa youngster seals record-breaking transfer to Saudi Pro League

Aston Villa academy product Brad Young, who left the club last summer, is set to embark on a new challenge as a surprise move to Saudi Arabia has been completed.

Young, 21, joined Welsh top-flight side The New Saints (TNS) in September 2023 following successful loan spells at Carlisle United and Ayr United. Young had an incredible 2023/24 campaign scoring 29 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions, helping to guide the club to the Cymru Premier title and a place in the Europa Conference League for the first time in their history.

The Cymru Premier Golden Boot winner from last season has now completed a move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Orobah. The move is significant in Welsh football history as the fee paid will be the largest fee on record, and that fee is believed to be in the region of £200,000.

Brad Young's Villa days

Young joined Villa as a child having been released by West Bromwich Albion at the age of 12. He went on to progress through the age categories of the club to become a regular in the U18 and U23 sides. Young played alongside the likes of Louie Barry and Carney Chukwuemeka in the Villa team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2021. In that same season, Young alongside many others in the team, famously made his debut in the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool after covid-related illness had ruled most of the Villa first team out of the game.

The former Villa forward will join Kurt Zouma, who joined from West Ham this summer, and the likes of Berg Gudmundsson and Vurnon Anita who have previously played Premier League football. Al-Orobah currently sit just one place above the Saudi Pro League relegation zone having lost their first two games. The club will be hoping that Young can add much needed goals to their team.

UTV