When Dean Smith’s Aston Villa side came up into the Premier League last summer, few would’ve expected them to still be here for next season. Although the Birmingham based club spent a large chunk of money on several players, it’s safe to say that not many of them actually worked out. If it wasn’t for the performances of players like Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings, things could have turned sour for Dean Smith’s men much more prematurely. Going into the new season with an unchanged squad would be like asking for trouble, and the Villa staff seem to have understood their predicament as well.
There has been no shortage of transfer links since the start of the window though, as the names of some experienced Premier League heads have come up as well. A further report by Birmingham Live has clarified that one of the biggest names they have been linked with is Brentford attacker Ollie Watkins. The Daily Mail had previously claimed that Celtic’s prodigious French forward Odsonne Edouard has emerged as a target for the Midlands club as well. Identifying the striker that Aston Villa should sign this summer isn’t going to be an easy task, but it’s something that they will need to do.
What Is Aston Villa’s Current Striker Situation?
The Villans made multiple key signings at the start of last season, and the largest of them all was the big-money acquisition of Brazilian striker Wesley. The 23-year-old arrived from Club Brugge with a massive reputation but was unable to maintain a similar level of form in the aggressive nature of Premier League football. Having finished the season with just five goals to show for his efforts, it’s safe to say that signing another striker is in order. Mbwana Samatta was brought in to counter the situation in the winter, but the Tanzanian failed to capture the imagination as well.
Dean Smith’s decision to depend on Keinan Davis in the latter stages of the campaign highlights the situation that they were in. The early-season injury to Wesley did very little to help their cause, while there was only so much that the other strikers could do. Most worryingly, there was a frustrating lack of creativity in the Villa front-line, with English ace Jack Grealish shouldering the entire responsibility of making something happen in the final third of the pitch.
Identifying The Striker That Aston Villa Should Sign This Summer: Here Are The Two Options
Ollie Watkins
The Brentford striker was a revelation in the Championship last season, and he deserves massive credit for guiding the Bees all the way into the playoff finals. The 24-year-old has been a Brentford player since joining in 2017, and he has since gone on to become a vital member of the squad. Not only did the Englishman score 25 goals in the Championship last time around, but he also managed to set up a further three along the way as well. This shows that Watkins is a clinical finisher of the ball, something this Villa side’s attack-line has been calling out for.
Odsonne Edouard
The Frenchman has been sensational for the Premiership champions over the last couple of seasons, and it hasn’t come as too much of a surprise that the youngster is commanding a serious interest from the Premier League. A willing runner with the ball at his feet, the former PSG man offers a predatory presence in the final third of the pitch, while he also boasts the uncanny ability to time his runs in behind to intuitive perfection. The 22-year-old still has a massive future ahead of him, and despite this tender age, Edouard has scored in almost half the matches he has ever played as a professional.
The Verdict
Given a choice between the two, Edouard is the player that a majority of the teams in Europe would target. As good as Watkins is, the Frenchman’s overall potential and rate of development should be enough to convince the Villans that moving for him is the way to go next season. With that said though, it’s perhaps worth conceding that at this point, the move for Watkins is looking a lot likelier from a financial perspective.
