Aston Villa scouting ‘unbelievable’ Sunderland star amid Ollie Watkins concerns
Aston Villa have endured a frustrating start to the season with just one win from their opening six Premier League games.
Unai Emery’s side won 3-1 against Fulham last time out, having previously scored just one goal from five games against Sunderland, Everton, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Newcastle.
Putting three past Fulham is sure to have eased those goalscoring concerns, but work is ongoing behind the scenes to identify options to strengthen up front.
Jhon Duran’s move to Al Nassr in January left Emery short of options, with Ollie Watkins the only out-and-out striker on the books at Villa Park.
Now, they have identified Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor as a target to resolve their issues with depth, having missed out on the likes of Nicolas Jackson in the summer.
Aston Villa scouts watching Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor
Football Insider exclusively revealed on 26 September that Aston Villa are closely monitoring Isidor following his tremendous start to the season.
Now, scouts have been sent to keep close tabs on his performances at the Stadium of Light as Villa weigh up whether he is the right man to strengthen Emery’s side.
That is according to former Sunderland chief scout and Villa senior scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected at his former clubs, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Villa are not the only side keeping an eye on the striker’s displays.
“He’s certainly somebody they’re going to have a look at,” he told Football Insider.
“From what I hear, I don’t think they’ll be the only ones keeping an eye on him, though.
“He had a great season for Sunderland in the Championship and a few clubs took note of that, and now he’s had a good start to life in the Premier League as well.
“As soon as that happens, everybody starts to pay attention and the clubs higher up the pecking order want to come and take him.
“So Villa’s scouts will be keeping a close eye on his progress and putting together reports to decide whether he’s the right player for them.
“They want a new striker, they wanted one in the summer as well, because there are a few concerns about Ollie Watkins and also the lack of depth behind him.
“So if they decide Isidor is good enough to do a job for him, and they think they can reach an agreement with Sunderland, then I’m sure they’ll make a move.”
Isidor’s form for Sunderland has not gone unnoticed amongst his teammates either, as captain Granit Xhaka labelled him “unbelievable” following his goal against Villa. [Sky Sports]
Ollie Watkins concerns emerging after ‘not happy’ claim at Villa
Watkins finally scored his first goal of the season during Aston Villa’s 3-1 win against Fulham, but concerns have lingered about his poor start to the season.
Watkins is in the worst form of his Aston Villa career, and the lack of depth in his position to push him for a starting XI spot has been cited as one of the reasons.
Meanwhile, Brown told Football Insider that Watkins is not happy at Aston Villa and had hoped to join Arsenal during the summer after a January move was rejected.
Newcastle also considered signing Watkins amid plenty of uncertainty surrounding his future, while Villa were believed to be open to his departure.
However, after he remained at Villa Park, his form has emerged as a key concern and direct reason for their poor start to the Premier League season.
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