Aston Villa want to sign ‘top-class’ striker in January amid Ollie Watkins ‘problem’
Aston Villa have endured a mixed season so far with their recent run of form turning around what was a dismal start to the season at Villa Park.
Unai Emery’s side lost 2-0 to Liverpool last time out, putting an end to a run of six league games without defeat, but their main problem was made clear once again.
Aston Villa have struggled for goals this season, having failed to score in five of their 10 league games, while they lack a consistent threat leading the line.
Right-back Matty Cash is the club’s leading goalscorer as things stand, with two goals this season, joint level with both Donyell Malen and Emi Buendia.
As a result, efforts are being made to sign a new striker in the January transfer window as the position has now become a major concern behind the scenes at Villa Park.
Aston Villa plot move to sign ‘top-class’ striker in January
Emery’s side were heavily linked with moves for the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin during the summer as they eyed numerous forward targets.
Now, they are planning to push forward with efforts to sign a “top-class” centre-forward in the January transfer window to bolster their attacking options.
That is according to former Aston Villa and Man United senior scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected at his former clubs, as he exclusively told Football Insider that landing a new forward has now become a priority for Emery.
“Aston Villa would like to bring in a top-class striker,” he told Football Insider.
“The problem is, there are quite a few clubs who would like to land a new centre-forward, so it’s not going to be easy to find one who is available at the right price.
“When they got Marcus Rashford in last season, he raised their level because he gave them a different option leading the line, but now he’s gone and they haven’t replaced him.
“I’m an Ollie Watkins fan, but he has had a poor season by his standards and that’s starting to become a problem for Aston Villa.
“They don’t have a reliable source of goals at the moment, and that’s a big reason why they’ve struggled to win some games.
“I think bringing in a new striker would not only give them something different, but it would also push Watkins to step up with the threat of being left out.
“At the moment, they’re sticking with him and they’re happy to do that, but they don’t have an alternative who can replace him while he’s struggling.
“That’s going to be their priority in January, landing a new striker who can score them goals.”
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.
Ollie Watkins problem emerges at Aston Villa
Brown told Football Insider on 30 September that Aston Villa are concerned about Watkins’ form after a difficult start to the season for the England international.
The 29-year-old has scored just one goal in 14 appearances across all competitions so far this season and has fallen some way short of last season’s success.
Meanwhile, Matt Le Tissier told Football Insider that Watkins could be axed by Aston Villa despite the lack of attacking depth in Emery’s squad.
Brown, who played a key role in bringing the striker to Villa Park, told Football Insider that Emery plans to stick with Watkins and believes he can find his best form.
The striker is determined to prove any doubters wrong with his performances, while Emery believes he will come good and get through this rocky spell of form.
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