Aston Villa have golden opportunity to sign prolific Ollie Watkins alternative ahead of Evertonplaceholder image
Aston Villa have golden opportunity to sign prolific Ollie Watkins alternative ahead of Everton | Getty Images/ Canva
Aston Villa could look to bolster their attacking options by signing a proven Premier League scorer
The 2025 summer transfer window was largely centred around sagas involving strikers. Alexander Isak completed a British record move to Liverpool, Benjamin Sesko joined Manchester United, Victor Gyokeres left Sporting for Arsenal - and Newcastle United completed the double signing of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa in the final weeks of the window.
More than £350m was spent on those players alone and that’s without even factoring in the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Thierno Barry and Mathys Tel, who were all also on the move.
It was very much the summer of the striker - and it looks likely to be a similar theme when the click strikes midnight to signal the start of the January window. But should Aston Villa be in the market for a striker?
Should Aston Villa sign another striker?
For almost the entirety of this current decade, Villa have been hugely reliant on the goal-scoring instincts of Ollie Watkins. The 29-year-old has scored 88 times in 239 matches for the West Midlands side - hitting double figures in every season he’s played in his career. He’s fast, ice-cool in front of goal, stretches defences excellently with clever runs in behind and unlike many forwards isn’t solely focused on himself - contributing a very impressive 42 assists in the process.
He’s Villa’s highest ever goalscorer of the Premier League era and has widely been regarded by many as England’s best option as deputy striker behind Harry Kane.
However, his numbers have taken a huge dip since the start of the campaign, with the forward scoring just once in 16 appearances across all competitions. He’s largely had to carry the mantle of scoring goals for Villa on his own for the entirety of the year since Jhon Duran’s exit in January - and though there’s few who doubt he’ll return to his high standards eventually, there is a fear that the sheer amount of games Watkins is getting is leading to a burnout, contributing in part to his recent dip in form.
It’s argued his international snub could be a blessing in disguise to help the striker recharge, but once he returns the fixtures will once again come thick and fast. Worse yet, Villa don’t really have a solid alternative to Watkins which they’ve largely got away with for a while due to the striker’s strong fitness record, but that is an aspect that could haunt them in their pursuit for Champions League football if they don’t sign another strong player in that position.
Why Aston Villa should sign Ivan Toney
Former Brentford talisman Ivan Toney is the subject of growing interest from a number of sides in the Premier League, according to Sky Sports.
The 29-year-old, who currently plays for Al Ahli boasts a strong track record in England of 36 goals and 11 assists in 85 Premier League matches - and has translated that clinical nature over to Saudi with 41 goals and eight assists in 59 matches for the Jeddah-based side.
Toney has represented England on seven occasions, scoring once. He was a peripheral figure in the nation’s run to the Euro 2024 final under Gareth Southgate, on occasion making an impact from the bench with his hold-up play and physicality. He’s also featured in one squad under Thomas Tuchel since his arrival but has only had one cap which lasted for a grand total of two minutes against Senegal in a 3-1 defeat.
The former Bees frontman wants to represent England at the upcoming World Cup in North America, but knows that his chances will be limited unless he secures a return to the Premier League to showcase his qualities. Everton are among the clubs aware of this and have made enquiries. However, they, like a number of clubs, face the difficulty of his wages which are believed to be significantly higher than what he was receiving in England.
Aston Villa, while not directly linked with Toney, are a club that could also benefit from a player of his ilk. Toney has very different strengths to Watkins, he’s a physical presence, with an exceptional penalty record, he thrives in aerial duels and is known for his poacher instincts.
He’d undoubtedly give the club a huge boost as they navigate multiple European competitions, and in the short term could be the difference between the club making it into the Champions League as they tussle with the likes of Newcastle United, Manchester United and Tottenham to finish in those coveted spots.
However, on the flip side there’s also a risk, regarding Toney’s age at 29, his sell-on value, and the finances it’d take to prise him away from Saudi Arabia. But if he was willing to take a pay cut, he could be a highly viable option this winter.
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