In a recent report, The Daily Mail mentioned that Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is on the radar of West Ham United. It is understood that the Villans could entertain the possibility of his sale if they can make a substantial profit with Steven Gerrard desperate to bolster his squad this summer.
Watkins’ Up And Down Campaign In English Football
Watkins has struggled to be consistent in terms of scoring goals but has found other ways to contribute for the West Midlands outfit in the final third. The Torquay-born talent has netted ten goals and secured one assist in 33 appearances for the Villans this season on all fronts.
The 26-year-old deserves some credit for averaging 2.2 shots, 1.0 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per 90 minutes in Premier League football. However, he needs to take care of the ball a bit better in the attacking end of the field, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 71.1% in league football (stats via whoscored).
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Should Aston Villa Boss Steven Gerrard Cash In On Watkins This Summer?
Watkins can be a decent goal-scorer in front of the opponent’s goal when he is playing well on the pitch. He excels at creating space for himself to get a few shots in on target and can even generate some good openings for his teammates up top.
The English sensation can use his quickness to make a few clever runs with the ball in behind the opposition defence and is versatile enough to play anywhere across the frontline. However, Watkins has to find a way to improve his link-up play if he wants to remain a regular starter in top-flight football.
At the moment, Watkins is playing a vital role in Gerrard‘s first XI. Thus, it makes no sense for the Villans to let their star striker go on the cheap this summer.
His current contract at Villa Park is set to run out in the summer of 2025. Therefore, the West Midlands outfit would be better off not cashing in on Watkins in this off-season unless they receive a big offer that is too tempting to turn down.
