Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly set to battle it out for the services of Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins this summer.
According to SPORT, Aston Villa are facing a battle to keep hold of Ollie Watkins this summer. The 26-year-old English international has become a top target for a host of clubs across England, including Manchester United, Arsenal and even Chelsea, while Everton are involved in the race as well.
Formerly of Brentford, Watkins has done extremely well since joining Aston Villa in 2020. In just 73 competitive outings for the club, he has netted 26 goals while bagging six assists. Although his numbers might not overwhelming, the attacker has offered much more than just productivity.
Indeed, the 26-year-old English international has made a name for himself for being an excellent supporting forward. He can link up the play in the final third and is capable of drifting out wide, if necessary. It makes him a modern centre-forward, with Arsenal among the clubs interested in his services.
Fresh from losing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January, the Gunners are in the market for reinforcements in the goalscoring department. After all, Mikel Arteta may end up losing Alexandre Lacazette at the end of the season, while Eddie Nketiah could consider leaving Arsenal for free amid interest from West Ham United.
Another club in contention to sign Watkins are Chelsea. After confirming their new owners, the Blues are bracing themselves for a major squad overhaul in the summer, with both their forwards Timo Werner and Romelu Lukuku likely to be offloaded after failing to impress head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are looking for a direct replacement for Edinson Cavani. The veteran forward is out of contract at the end of the season, while Cristiano Ronaldo is staring at an uncertain future at Old Trafford as well, knowing Manchester United won’t take part in the UEFA Champions League next term.
A striker like Watkins could be a solid fit at Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. The 26-year-old English international has the experience of Premier League football and is versatile enough to settle in seamlessly under the respective coaches.
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Luring Watkins from Aston Villa, though, could be a tricky task. The Villans will be holding out for a hefty price tag, especially after paying €20 million to Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho, thus making it difficult even for clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United to get their hands on the former Brentford starlet this summer.