Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has urged the Premier League club to re-sign teammate Ollie Watkins amid reports of interest from Arsenal.
You didn’t need a crystal ball to see what was going to happen next after the England international belatedly opened his Premier League account with the winner away at Chelsea.
Ollie Watkins has always been a ‘confidence player’. A striker who tends to score goals in purple clusters. In retrospect, perhaps Roberto de Zerbi’s fatigued, Europa League-juggling Brighton were the ideal opponents for a rejuvenated Watkins, the turbo-charged frontman becoming the first Aston Villa player to score two hat-tricks in the same season since Andy Grey in 1977.
Arsenal are apparently interested in Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
Arsenal is interested in the former Brentford midfielder, according to Football Transfers. Edu Gaspar, the technical director, is said to have met with Watkins’ agent.
With less than two years remaining on his contract, Konsa isn’t the only one pressing Aston Villa to round up Watkins and put a magic marker into his hand.
“It’s really important for the club (to keep Watkins),” the similarly in-form Konsa tells the Daily Mail. “He scores goals and wins games for us.” It would be critical for us to have him extend his contract.
“I’ve known him for a long time. I knew how good he was because we played together at Brentford. And I was overjoyed when we signed him three years ago.
“Hopefully he can continue this form.”
Watkins has 44 Premier League goals for Aston Villa since joining the club in a £28 million deal in 2020. Two of those came in a remarkable 3-0 triumph for Dean Smith’s team three years ago at Arsenal’s own Emirates Stadium.
“When you look at other Premier League clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, or even Manchester United, I wonder if his agent is sort of secretly saying ‘he is of that level,” says former Villa keeper Shay Given to Premier League Productions.
“He can score goals.” Villa would not be in trouble without Ollie Watkins, but they would not be as powerful. He also appears to be quite consistent with his finishes. You mention strikers panicking in front of goal. He is the polar opposite.
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