Doubts over Alpay's Villa future

Aston Villa have revealed that controversial central defender Alpay was given permission by the club not to report for training on Tuesday – but major doubts still linger over the Turkish international’s future at the club.

Alpay has been the victim of a public hate campaign following his spat with David Beckham during the Euro 2004 qualifier in Istanbul.

Turkey manager Senol Gunes is considering dropping the under-pressure defender for his country’s play-offs against Latvia while he is at the centre of the controversy.

And Hertha Berlin are believed to have reawakened their interest in signing Alpay – either during the January transfer window or sooner if his contract with Villa is cancelled by mutual consent.

He was already unpopular with Villa fans upset at his desire to leave the club stemming back to the summer of 2002 when he asked for a transfer.

And he has been vilified since taunting Beckham after he missed a penalty and poking the England captain at half-time during Saturday’s match.

When Alpay failed to turn up at Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training complex this morning, it was initially thought that the 30-year-old had gone AWOL.

But Villa manager David O’Leary listened to a request from the player to spend the day with his family after being away with his country for 10 days to prepare for the meeting with Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side.

Villa’s head of media and communications Phil Mepham said: “Alpay had permission to spend extra time with his family today which is why he did not attend training on Tuesday morning.”

Villa would not say whether or not Alpay will be back at work tomorrow to begin preparations for the derby with Birmingham at St Andrews.

Alpay’s chances of playing in that game are slim now that Ronny Johnsen is fit after a four-game absence with a hamstring problem to resume his partnership with skipper Olof Mellberg.

But it may be that Alpay will not play for the club again in the current circumstances and a move to Europe might suit all parties.

Villa would be able to offload a player on £30,000 a week who has played only a handful of games in the past two seasons and who, in any case, could leave for nothing when his four year contract expires next summer.

And it would represent a fresh start for Alpay with Hertha his probable destination.

Only last month Alpay claimed: “I can go to Hertha. I want to play in Europe.”

The only concrete offer since he asked for a move 14 months ago after being named in the FIFA team of the 2002 World Cup came from Blackburn in the January transfer window and that was rejected by Villa.