Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa
Should he stay or should he go? Villa striker Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins is in the news again amid speculation that Arsenal could reignite their interest in the Aston Villa star.
The Gunners’ hunt for a striker has been a hardy perennial of several Premier League transfer windows now, and this summer is no different.
But while the focus has so far been on potential big-money deals for the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, now it seems Watkins has also entered the Emirates machinations.
So should Villa cash in? Or should they fight tooth and nail to keep their Premier League top scorer? Our writers have had their say on the issue… and their conclusions are well worth a read..
John Townley, Aston Villa writer
Selling Ollie Watkins would cause an unnecessary headache for Aston Villa.
Other areas of Unai Emery’s squad need attention, rather than trying to replace a striker who reliably scores 15-plus goals a season.
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Watkins is so much more than goals alone, too. Since the start of the 2020/21 Premier League season, only two players have recorded 75+ goals and 30+ assists - Watkins and Mo Salah.
Without Champions League football, could Villa attract a striker who can replace what Watkins brings to the team, including link-up play, running the channels and pressing from the front?
The 29-year-old has also been reliable from a fitness point of view, missing only a handful of matches under Emery.
Granted, Watkins needs competition, but selling him would then require the arrival of two new strikers.
In a world where Villa must spend cleverly - and in other areas of the pitch - they should avoid selling Watkins.
Of course, every player has a price, and if Villa’s valuation is met, then he would likely leave.
But at 29 and with several years left on his deal, would a bid of £40m be suitable? And what level of player could Villa sign to replace the England international with that amount?
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Steve Wollaston, Head of Midlands Sport
Something about the Ollie Watkins situation at Villa makes me think that now would be a good time for both parties if he were to move on.
At 29, Watkins has nothing left to prove at Villa Park - he has scored the goals, experienced the highs and lows, and still has high enough stock at the club to remain a favourite long after leaving.
He's a player who rightly doesn't seem to like being left out of the team, and he's a player who in my opinion needs to play week in, week out to get the best out of him both physically and mentally.
There's no problem if Watkins stays at Villa, he is always good for goals. But if he is even slightly interested in a new challenge, Villa would more than cope with his departure as they look to build a new era at the club.
At 29, Watkins has loads to offer any interested team, and a potential move would certainly net Villa a healthy transfer fee.
If Watkins wants to keep appearing for England, and be the main man at club level, a move may be just what is needed for the former Brentford striker.
Keith Wales
I am not convinced that Unai Emery is an Ollie Watkins fan. The manager’s readiness to hand starting roles in big matches to the likes of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio last season suggests the manager has an inherent distrust of his leading scorer.
And Watkins’ own fury at his Champions League quarter-final snub, vented in public on live TV, was as much a message to Emery as anyone, despite the player insisting it was the manager’s right to pick whatever team he preferred.
Then, of course, there are those oft-repeated quotes of Watkins professing his desire to one day play for Arsenal - well, it does make you think, surely?
We do know that Villa were open to selling Watkins in January, and that Arsenal were interested in a deal, but at the right price. When Villa’s demands were too high, they demurred and arguably kissed goodbye to making a more sustained push for title glory.
We know Emery and Villa are not above selling big-name stars for the right price, as proved by last summer’s exit of Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby. The key to any Watkins’ exit is time.
If Emery is indeed ready to unload the England man, a decision and a deal needs to be sealed sooner rather than later, so that a replacement can be found in time for pre-season.
And there is the snag - Arsenal, if that is indeed where Watkins could end up, are in the driving seat as they also ponder possible deals for Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres.
They will not want to miss out on signing a striker altogether, but also they are likely to be ready to play the long game - and that does not work for Villa or Watkins.
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Brian Dick
The key to successful team building is succession-planning and Villa should consider cashing in on Watkins – but only if they are sure as they can be about sourcing the right replacement.
Quite frankly that’s going to be very, very difficult to do because there are so few ‘No. 9s’ out there at present, a scarcity that merely drives up the price for the likes of Gyokeres and Isak.
You don’t have to just replace Watkins’ goals either. He might not be an elite finisher, fans have grumbled about the amount of chances he misses, but his skillset is perfectly suited to how Emery sets up his team.
Ideally, Villa are looking for someone younger, with a decent goal record and the mobility that makes Watkins so important. That is to say nothing of the way he comports himself after the disappointment at being left out of key games.
I wouldn’t part with Watkins for two Marcus Rashfords – but I would potentially part with a 29-year-old with more miles behind him than in front if I knew who I’d bring in to succeed him. Glad that’s not my problem.
Joseph Chapman
Would I sell Ollie Watkins this summer?
I think we've reached a now or never scenario. In the many summers since he joined Villa, there has been talk that Watkins could move on to even bigger things, speculation his form in front of goal has merited, but nothing has ever materialised or even really come close to doing so.
At 29, Watkins' career could go one of two ways. If they sell him now, then they will still receive a substantial fee - perhaps not what they'd have banked this time last year, but still a significant profit on what they paid for him five years ago - and in doing so will ease their PSR concerns as another accounting deadline looms.
If they hold onto him, then Watkins will likely spend the next three seasons - the remaining years on his contract - at Villa and could go on to become a member of the pantheon of great Villa strikers. It wouldn't be about selling for financial reasons, or a big profit, but actually just enjoying the best years of an international forward who has made Villa his home.
Others within the existing squad ought to be sacrificed ahead of Watkins, I believe, when it comes to ensuring the club remain within both the Premier League's and UEFA's spending rules because he has developed a knack of firing the goals Villa have relied on pretty much since he joined. That is a football currency which is pretty hard to come by and not so easily replaced.
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So, would I sell Watkins this summer? In a word, no.