Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has insisted that he is ‘100 percent confident’ that Ollie Watkins will sign a new contract with the club.
The 27-year-old’s current deal at Villa expires in June 2025, and so although there isn’t an immediate concern, the closer he gets to entering the final year of his contract, the more concern will grow over his future at the club.
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Further, despite suggestions that talks have been ongoing for some time now between the two parties, no agreement has yet been reached, and that in turn raises question marks over whether or not there have been issues in those discussions.
Nevertheless, Emery has provided positive insight into the situation, as he sounds entirely convinced that Watkins will put pen to paper on a new contract, and once again took the opportunity to praise the Villa forward, which comes as no real surprise given how he has flourished since the Spaniard took charge last season.
“We can be optimistic at the possibility he will extend his contract with Aston Villa,” Emery told the media, as per BirminghamLive. “Yes, 100 per cent confident because I think he is happy here and progressing. He is taking a new challenge on with us.
“I think Ollie, his progress before we arrived here was important. He has been consistent with us because he is very demanding with himself, every day in practice. Each match for him is a challenge. He is not always about scoring goals, he is always taking the challenge with the team, trying to qualify for Europe like we did last year.
“We are helping him as well, trying to work with him and make improvements to his game. The challenges we have, with Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa and myself, the challenge we have to progress, I think he is in the same way.”
Watkins now has 50 goals and 16 assists in 127 appearances for Villa, and having proven to be a fundamental figure in Emery’s side, he has continued to become more influential.
While he may well frustrate at times when he isn’t quite as ruthless in front of goal as he’s capable of being, the overall impact he makes with his pressing and defensive work ethic coupled with his movement and speed in the final third to stretch defences is integral to the way Emery wants us to play.
However, the Villa boss has to find a balance this year in order to keep Watkins fresh, and he suggested that although the Villa frontman is in the squad to face Zrinjski on Thursday night in our Europa Conference League clash, there is a possibility that he rotates and gives Jhon Duran a chance.
Given we lost our opening game away at Legia Warsaw, Villa can ill-afford to drop more points in this one, and so whether it’s Watkins or Duran and if we make multiple changes, whoever comes in has to make the desired impact to ensure we pick up all three points at home.
“Waktins is in the squad, of course, he is available for tomorrow,” Emery added. “We will decide if he is in the starting XI because I want to try and manage the players, giving them chances. Ollie Watkins, Jhon Duran, Zaniolo. With some players not available for tomorrow, I have to keep the balance for the starting XI, with the balance of the matches before and those after tomorrow.
“It is trying to keep a balance of playing, trying to manage the squad and other players. I want and am very happy with Ollie Watkins. But I want and will need other players taking minutes and taking confidence. One of them is Jhon Duran.”