Ollie Watkins reacts to Aston Villa teammate’s message after his ‘£100m’ transfer news
Ollie Watkins’ scoring form has continued in pre-season for Aston Villa as speculation grows over his future this summer.
Aston Villa‘s packed pre-season schedule is well underway this summer with five of their 10 scheduled friendlies already ticked off, three of which will take place Stateside as part of the Villans’ US tour.
Pre-season discourse at Villa Park has been dominated by their delicate PSR position and the prospect of several big-name sales, with Unai Emery at risk of losing much of Aston Villa’s attacking star power.
Watkins is one of the players linked with a move this summer, and Stefan Borson told Football Insider on 12 July that Newcastle’s interest in the striker could result in a transfer worth close to £100million in total.
Villa have already been on the end of a £9.5m fine from UEFA for breaching their strict financial rules, which could result in key figures like Watkins, Morgan Rogers or Jacob Ramsey being sold this summer.
Onana sends ‘start’ message as Aston Villa begin US tour
In a stark comparison to many of his team-mates, Amadou Onana’s future at Villa Park seems secure after his £50m move from Everton last summer and a successful first season in Emery’s midfield.
Onana posted on Instagram (26 July) to say; “Tour can start” ahead of Villa’s first friendly in the US on Saturday, which saw them twice surrender early advantages to draw 2-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Emery’s attack is still up for debate ahead of the new campaign as speculation continues over Watkins’ future, as both Newcastle and Manchester United weigh up a move which could end up costing £100m.
Watkins didn’t let that uncertainty affect his performance as he tapped home a twelfth-minute opener in Louisville, and Rogers made it 2-2 early in the second half only for Frankfurt to find a late equaliser.
Watkins transfer to spark chaos as Aston Villa line up replacement
Football Insider Verdict
Keith Wyness told Football Insider that Aston Villa could make use of “secondary-level” sponsorship at Villa Park to steer away from a PSR breach, which will give Emery hope of retaining his best players.
Emery is a “huge” fan of Chelsea frontman Nicolas Jackson after their time at Villarreal and has opened talks over a deal to sign the striker, potentially providing an alternative to Watkins next season.
Aston Villa will still fight tooth and nail to keep Watkins this summer in the hope that their firm stance is enough to ward off interested clubs, but as PSR worries linger in the background, it’s unlikely that Emery’s side can avoid a headline sale.