Exclusive: Aston Villa will accept £35m Ollie Watkins offer
Aston Villa could accept a £35million offer for Ollie Watkins if it arrives in January, sources have told Football Insider.
In January, Villa turned down a £40m bid from Arsenal for Watkins, with Unai Emery then keen to hold onto the striker.
But the forward has struggled this season, with his brace against Brighton on Wednesday marking his first goals since September.
Football Insider revealed on Friday that Villa are interested in both Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson, with Emery looking to bolster his forward line further.
Should the Villans be able to attain a youngster striker, a move that would see Watkins leave Villa Park will be sanctioned.
Ollie Watkins faces race to prove poor form just a rough patch
Watkins was branded “unrecognisable” during Villa’s win over Leeds, and the stats back up the claim.
For five consecutive Premier League seasons, the striker has been a constant force for the Villans, scoring 78 goals and providing 34 assists in just 198 appearances.
| Ollie Watkins | Premier League 2025-26 |
| Appearances | 14 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Shots | 24 |
| Shots on target | 8 |
| Dispossessed | 14 |
While he could not recreate the monstrous performance that saw him named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Season for the 2023-24 campaign, Watkins was superb last season.
The England international netted 16 goals and provided eight assists in the league as Villa narrowly missed out on the Champions League spots.
But the 29-year-old has looked languid and unconfident in recent months, with Donyell Malen now banging on Emery’s door for consistent starts.
Wednesday saw a taste of the old Watkins return, however, with the striker capitalising on two great opportunities to drag his side back on terms against Brighton.
Watkins is under pressure to prove that he can keep it up, however, with his Villa future depending on it.
Villa could turn back to 21-year-old star
Villa registered their interest in Samu Aghehowa in the final days of the transfer window, but were knocked back by FC Porto.
The Spaniard arrived in Portugal last year following a failed move to Chelsea, and scored a massive 27 goals in his first season.
This campaign has seen Aghehowa continue in that vein, with Premier League clubs starting to circle around the young striker.
Watkins’ departure could see that target revisited by Villa, although Porto would demand a hefty sum.