Aston Villa are in talks with Ollie Watkins regarding signing a new long-term contract, according to reports.
What's the latest on Watkins' future?
Watkins first arrived in the Premier League when he made the jump up to the top-flight from Brentford back in September 2020, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal.
The Midlands striker has excelled under the guidance of Unai Emery this season where he is currently one of Villa's best-performing attacking players overall, not to mention his return in front of goal having found the back of the net prolifically in his last 10 league games.
The Villans boss also publicly praised the 27-year-old during his most recent pre-match press conference admitting that he would love to extend his stay. As quoted by Football365, he said: “He deserves to get a new contract, to extend the contract and to get more money. He is deserving. We want to keep him with us.”
According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa are “in talks” with Watkins regarding a new contract. Should the forward put pen to paper on fresh terms, it would lift him up and place him in the club’s “top bracket of earners” alongside the likes of Emi Martinez and Philippe Coutinho. The £44k-p/w talisman is “certain” to attract interest during the upcoming window thanks to his outstanding form this season which is why the board are keen to tie him down sooner rather than later.
Does Watkins deserve a new contract?
Journalist Josh Bunting has claimed that Watkins has become a “revitalised” player under Emery this season and that is clear to see so Aston Villa offering him improved terms would be nothing less than he deserves.
The Torquay-born talent has reached double figures in 28 Premier League appearances this season where he’s currently averaging over 2 shots per game, highlighting the prolific threat he brings to the opposition box (prior to the match vs Nottingham Forest).
The Under Armour-sponsored star is also an extremely versatile option for the boss to have at his disposal having operated out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside his natural centre-forward position this term.
Watkins has been a key player to Villa’s success in their recent run of fixtures and he will undoubtedly still continue to be one in years to come so it would be a massive coup should he sign on the dotted line before the end of the season or later in the summer.