The 29-year-old has been a highly influential figure for Villa since joining us from Brentford in 2020, going on to score 87 goals and provide 42 assists in 223 appearances across all competitions.
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Albeit he could be a more prolific presence up front at times, his overall impact when leading the line, particularly under Unai Emery, has made the England international a pillar of this current team, with his work-rate, energy, movement, ability to stretch defences and to be a decisive figure in front of goal all making him vitally important for us.
That was reflected in his tallies of 17 goals and 14 assists in 54 appearances last season in somewhat of a down year for him after a slow start, while his durability and reliability remain fundamental strengths of his too. Watkins also became the club’s all-time top Premier League goalscorer last season in another impressive achievement.
Having sold the likes of Danny Ings and Jhon Duran over the past couple of years to allow Watkins to be our main man up top, he looks set to be our lead striker again next season as things stand, but according to [Fabrizio Romano](https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1944166302622298336), Al Hilal made an enquiry for the Villa striker earlier this week, but no formal bid has been submitted as of yet.
It remains to be seen if that situation stays the same and whether or not they ultimately switch their focus elsewhere, but should they advance in their pursuit of Watkins, it will be interesting to see what kind of offer is put on the table, and whether or not it would be enough to convince Villa to sell and use those funds to sign a replacement.
From the player’s perspective, it’s also unclear if a move to Saudi Arabia would suit him at this stage of his career in terms of his ambition, personal life and England hopes, and so there is a lot of uncertainty at this stage as we wait to see if things progress.
Given how heavily Emery has relied on Watkins up to this point, it seems unlikely that the Villa boss will be open to the idea of losing our decisive frontman this summer, but ultimately if a huge offer were to be made for a player approaching 30 years of age, that could help us find a long-term replacement, and so perhaps the stance of the club could shift.
For now though, with our pre-season schedule rapidly approaching, it’s hoped that we see Watkins report back to Bodymoor Heath this week ready to put in the work to make a fast start to the new season in full health and peak fitness.
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