After a brilliant run of form following Unai Emery’s arrival last season, Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins will hopefully build on that next year and continue to impress.
The 27-year-old ended the campaign with 16 goals and six assists in 40 appearances, with 14 of those goals and four of his assists coming in 26 games after Emery was appointed.
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Having relished the responsibility of leading the Villa line after the departure of Danny Ings in January, Watkins showed significant improvement, development and consistency, while Emery played to his strengths and provided the coaching and tactical guidance that he needed to raise his level.
With his impact in mind, the Daily Mail reported in April that Watkins was in talks with Villa over a new, improved contract, albeit we’ve yet to get official confirmation from the club that he has penned a new deal, as negotiations seemingly continue.
Given his current contract runs until 2025, there isn’t a pressing need to extend, but with The Athletic reporting that Watkins is one of several transfer targets being considered by Man Utd this summer, it perhaps increases the need to get it secured.
After playing such a key role in helping us return to Europe, and with the ambition that the club is showing coupled with the guidance of Emery, there is a strong argument to make for Watkins to stay at Villa and continue to go from strength to strength. It’s important to note too that there has never been any suggestion that he’s not happy and settled at the club.
In turn, signing off on the contract would simply put any speculation to bed and secure his long-term future, allowing him to focus on continuing to improve and help us become increasingly competitive.
Villa do need to add more competition and depth this summer up front though as we look to compete on multiple fronts, as although Watkins displays a brilliant work ethic, stays healthy and is reliable, he can’t be expected to take on that heavier workload without options to help him as Villa will hope to play in excess of 50 competitive games next season.
Time will tell what Villa decide to do with Cameron Archer as he would arguably make for an ideal understudy to Watkins next season, while Jhon Duran will also be hoping for a bigger role. With Emery expected to stamp his mark on the team further this summer, all three could face increased competition, but hopefully Watkins will sign his new deal and continue to lead the way.