According to The Athletic (subscription needed), Leeds United are interested in Ollie Watkins. The Whites are keen on remodelling their squad following their promotion to the Premier League, and the Brentford attacker has been identified as one of the potential targets as Marcelo Bielsa looks to strengthen his offensive unit this summer.
Ollie Watkins: One of the best attackers in the Championship
Watkins has been a revelation at Brentford this season. He has emerged as a real force behind Thomas Frank’s offensive unit that has seen the Bees end the 2019/20 campaign as the league’s highest scorers.
Watkins, himself, with his 25 goals in 46 matches, finished the campaign as Championship’s second-highest individual goal-getter, just behind Fulham superstar Aleksandar Mitrovic. The 24-year-old’s productivity has been critical in Brentford’s third-placed finish, although they were unfortunate not to finish second.
Nevertheless, it is Watkins that matters. And the centre forward has mattered quite a lot, having averaged 2.8 shots on goal as well as 1.5 key passes per game. He has also attained a dribble success rate of 64% while averaging 2.3 headed duels per game, which is indicative of the player’s aerial prowess.
Watkins’ style of play is not only restricted to productivity either as the Brentford star has also shown immense technical prowess. Indeed, he has linked up well with his teammates, notably building a formidable attacking partnership with Said Benrahma, another Leeds United target.
Why Leeds United must sign Watkins
Watkins’ style of play is often likened to Leeds United’s top-scorer, Patrick Bamford. Both like to get themselves involved in the game and help create chances in the final third. Additionally, they have a commendable fighting spirit and an excellent mentality, which has been evident throughout the course of the campaign.
However, Watkins is far more effective when it comes to converting chances. To put things into perspective, we should point out that the Brentford man has attempted 132 shots on goal, finding the back of the net 25 times. Bamford, in that regard, has netted only 16 despite attempting a much higher 143 shots on goal.
Watkins’ better conversion rate, therefore, could come in handy in the Premier League, where Leeds United are not expected to get many scoring opportunities. However, whether or not the Whites could sign him up this summer depends on Brentford’s fate in the promotion playoff where the Bees are supposed to play Fulham in the final on Tuesday.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
