Aston Villa in 'tricky situation' as Ollie Watkins exit whispers baffle expert
Aston Villa are at serious risk of making their own situation worse as rumours grow around Ollie Watkins' future this summer.
That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider that Unai Emery could be left with a "massive gap" in his team ahead of next season.
The latest news emerging from Turkey would suggest that the England international has agreed terms with Fenerbahce on a three-year deal.
It is a transfer that would see Villa make just £29.8million, six years on from his record arrival from Brentford in the summer of 2020.
Even at 30 years of age, after 280 games, 108 goals and 46 assists, the centre-forward still has a lot to offer at Villa Park, but it would appear that his future lies elsewhere.
Not only would that put a huge dent in Emery's forward line, but it seemingly doesn't make a lot of sense financially for the club.
exit to leave 'massive gap in the squad'
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson was taken aback by the rumours, struggling to understand why Villa would sell such an important asset for so little.
"Are they really going to sell him for £30m? Again, that would seem to be counterproductive, as it's not going to generate huge profit," he said.
"You also leave yourself with a massive gap in the squad. So, I don't know what they're going to do. I do think they've got a need to generate more player trading profits for the various tests that they've got to comply with.
"It just seems to me that selling Watkins isn't necessarily the answer because you just end up with a situation where you've got to find a replacement.
"And, of course, finding a striker is the most expensive and the hardest thing to do. They're caught; they are in a tricky situation, no question.
"They'll be looking at all of these angles and going, 'what's our best way out of it?' But they've got very limited levers to pull."
Youri Tielemans exit drops like a bombshell
Much like the Watkins news, Youri Tielemans' impending move to Manchester United has come completely out of the blue.
Especially when taking into consideration the lack of midfield options at Villa Park, even with the signing of Johan Manzambi, it is a baffling situation.
The Villans are clearly in need to raise funds, like Borson suggests, but the 2026-27 campaign could be one of their worst under Emery if it continues this way.
As it stands, it could be just days before Tielemans' move is announced officially, with Fabrizio Romano already confirming the booking of the Belgian's medical.