Aston Villa may open big-money Ollie Watkins talks after £50m update – pundit
Alan Hutton has suggested Aston Villa could open new contract talks with Ollie Watkins as West Ham reportedly plot a summer raid.
The former Villa defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed rival interest puts the 26-year-old in a”good position” to negotiate improved terms with the Midlands giants.
The Guardian claim (10 May) West Ham boss David Moyes has made Watkins a top target but that the Villans would likely demand a £50million-plus transfer fee.
Hutton insisted a move to the Hammers would be a “sideways step” for the Villa striker.
He suggested the seven-cap England international could use the interest to get a new bumper deal at Villa Park instead.
Asked if he is confident Watkins will stay at Villa this summer, Hutton told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “Yeah, I’m confident.
“For him to go to West Ham, I know the league doesn’t lie but to me, it’s pretty much a sideways step. If you look at Aston Villa moving forward, they’re definitely targeting the European places.
“Ollie Watkins, he’s seen what it’s all about. What the fans are like, the training ground, the stadium. He’ll want to be part of that.
“It depends what club we’re talking about. If we’re talking about a top-four club, it’s obviously difficult as a player to turn that down.
“But if it’s a club that’s going to be in and around them, it probably puts Ollie Watkins in a good position to look for a new contract.
“He could say: ‘I want to stay here. You value me at more than £50million pounds, well I deserve a contract that shows that.’
“It’s a situation that works both ways. I’m sure there will be conversations to be had if a fee like that is put into the club.”
Watkins signed his current deal with Villa when he joined from Brentford in 2020.
His contract runs until the summer of 2025.
In other news, Hutton reveals what Aston Villa players are saying about Philippe Coutinho behind the scenes.