Ollie Watkins Chelsea
Stamford Bridge Chelsea
Chelsea are desperately trying to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli but if they fail to land him, the Blues will go after Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, claims a report by Football Transfers.
Victor Osimhen is Chelsea’s primary target but the Blues aren’t the only side who are interested in the striker. In the Premier League, the Nigerian international is wanted by Arsenal and Manchester United and back in Italy, Osimhen has been linked with a move to Juventus.
Chelsea realize it might be very tough for them to get their hands on such an in-demand striker which is why they have made contact with Aston Villa to inquire the availability of Ollie Watkins.
Is Ollie Watkins good enough to lead the line at Chelsea next season?
Nicolas Jackson has done a decent job as Chelsea’s main centre-forward but Enzo Maresca needs an upgrade if Chelsea are to compete for silverware next season. The manager wants a robust striker who can dominate inside the penalty area and while Ollie Watkins does not fit into the same bracket, the England international is undoubtedly a prolific goalscorer.
The 29-year-old has spent five seasons with Aston Villa and in 221 appearances, he’s scored 86 goals. This season, he’s scored 0.49 goals per 90 minutes and his 15 Premier League goals have come from just 36 shots on target.
Ollie Watkins is an ever-willing runner who will continue to run into open spaces and he’s also great at link-up play. His playing style will perfectly complement that of Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto.
The only factor will be his age because the striker will turn 30 by the end of this year and we aren’t sure if Chelsea should invest money on a 30-year-old centre-forward.
Will Aston Villa sell him to Chelsea?
Unai Emery had previously stated that Watkins is happy at the club but most experts believe that if a good offer comes in, Aston Villa won’t mind letting him leave.
Villa are said to be open to offers in the range of €60-70 million which seems pretty fair because the striker’s current market value is €50 million and his contract expires in 2028.
If Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League then Unai Emery will be reluctant to offload him but if they were to finish out of the top five, a move to Chelsea or one of the rival clubs is very much on the cards.