Confirmed: Aston Villa 22-year-old pens contract extension
By Derek Smithson
Aston Villa goalkeeper Bradley Watkins has agreed a new deal with the club, it was announced on Tuesday.
The Midlands giants confirmed on their official website that the 22-year-old has signed a one-year extension at the Championship club.
He has been with the club since 2011 when he joined as a scholar and is yet to go on and make a first-team appearance.
Watkins has featured regularly for Villa’s Under-23s side and youth teams in the past, but has been unable to get a look in for the senior set-up.
The shot stopper has been loaned out to Chelmsford and Tranmere in the past, but failed to make a serious impact and enhance his reputation.
Villa could be facing a goalkeeping crisis ahead of next season as Mark Bunn is the only senior option at their disposal.
Loanee Sam Johnstone has returned to Manchester United after his impressive loan spell, while Pierluigi Gollini is currently on an 18-month loan at Italian club Atalanta.
Football Insider verdict:
Watkins has been handed a new deal at the club and that suggests that he could still make a breakthrough. However, the 22-year-old appears a long way off the senior set-up at this moment in time and hasn’t been mentioned as a potential first-team goalkeeping option under Steve Bruce. He needs to begin making inroads to the first team at the Championship club at his age and can no longer be considered a young player. The best possible move would be a loan deal where he can experience regular football and they should put out contact to League Two clubs to try find a new destination.
In other Aston Villa transfer news, a Championship club are set to rival them for the signature of a Premier League midfielder.
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