Aston Villa

Aston Villa: Two potential knock-on effects of Ollie Watkins’ reported potential move away

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There could be two big knock-on effects at Aston Villa if reports of Ollie Watkins leaving turn out to be true.

Having had a great first season at Villa Park following his move in the summer of 2020, scoring 16 goals in all competitions and earning his first call-up to the England side as a result, things have taken something of a backwards step this season for Watkins, as he’s only managed to bag six goals so far in 2021/22.

However, according to reports, those numbers are still enough for other teams in the Premier League to take notice. As per Football Insider, Watkins is attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, noting that he is “on the target list of attackers that Mikel Arteta’s team want to sign in the main transfer window”.

What’s more, it seems as if Villa won’t put up much of a fight when it comes to getting rid of him, as the report also claims: “Villa will listen to offers for Watkins as manager Steven Gerrard is not convinced he is the A-list striker he needs,” and that “Gerrard is an admirer of the versatile forward but accepts that the super-ambitious Midlands giants could have to cash in on him.”

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A great boost for Gerrard to help set up his side

Having done some impressive work at Villa Park already, by taking them from just outside the relegation zone to a respectable place in mid-table, this upcoming summer will provide Gerrard the chance to double down.

Whether that means using it to bring back the so far impressive Philippe Coutinho on a permanent deal or to flesh out some of the positions in the side that will need reinforcements such as right-back and centre-forward, money brought in by the sale of Watkins could really help Gerrard to further mould the team in his own image.

A chance for Danny Ings to nail down his spot

One person this could be good news for is 29-year-old Danny Ings, who has at times found it hard to get into the side as a result of Watkins’ presence, resulting in him starting just 15 games in the league – a far cry from his days at Southampton, when the only thing that could keep him out of the side was his injury issues.

With Watkins out of the picture, it could be the perfect opportunity for him to lead the line without having to share duties with someone, become the main goal threat again like he was at St. Mary’s and possibly even get his name back into the conversation for an England call-up once again.

TIF Verdict…

It does seem like a situation where everyone is a winner: Gerrard gets his money to spend, Ings will get the chance to prove himself once again and Arsenal get a forward who is more than capable when it comes to scoring in the Premier League.

The only question now will be how Villa handle Watkins between now and the end of the season – whether they play him as much as they can, hope that he scores more goals and drives his price up, or whether they will hold him back slightly so that he doesn’t hurt himself and possibly jeopardise any potential transfer.

In other news: Jack Grealish sends three-word message to Aston Villa talent

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Freelance sports journalist & broadcaster.