Aston Villa could sell Ollie Watkins this summer

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins could be sold this summer for the right price because of his strained relationship with manager Unai Emery.

The 29-year-old has been an indispensable asset for Aston Villa over the years, and it will be interesting to see if any club is willing to pay a substantial amount of money for him. 

Ian Darke reckons that the West Midlands club could demand around £60 million for the England international. There is no doubt that he is one of the best strikers in the country, and he would be an excellent acquisition for most teams. However, Aston Villa will have to be more reasonable with their demands.

The striker will return 30 in December, and no club will want to pay over the odds for him. 

Ollie Watkins to move on?

Darke said to Villa News: “From what one hears, it does seem, without anybody saying it, that there is a slightly strained relationship between the manager and the player; they are not exactly buddies or seeing things in quite the same way.

“It would not be the biggest shock in the world, looking in from the outside, if Watkins were to go.

“Villa might say we would take £60m, but they end up, these deals are done in such a complicated way now that how you structure the deal can get around the problem.”

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Watkins exit will hurt

Watkins has proven himself in the Premier League over the years, and there is no doubt that he is good enough for the top clubs. He will look to join a competitive team capable of fighting for trophies. It remains to be seen where he ends up. 

Meanwhile, Ashton will have been overly dependent on him for goals. It will be interesting to see if they can replace him properly. They have a competitive squad, and they will be hoping to push for European qualification next season. They cannot do so without a reliable goalscorer. If Watkins leaves the club in the summer, they need a quality player to fill the void left by him. 

It remains to be seen who they end up with.