Brentford striker Ollie Watkins wants to work with Dean Smith again, leaving Aston Villa in pole position to get a deal done for the 26-goal ace this summer.  

Watkins was in exceptional form for the Bees in 2019/20, scoring 26 goals in 49 appearances as well as registering three assists.

He, combined with Said Benrahma and Bryan Mbeumo, formed the Championship’s most lethal attack, but they were unable to fire Thomas Frank’s side to promotion as Brentford lost the play-off final.

Quiz: Do you remember which club Brentford signed these 15 players from?

 

As expected, interest in Watkins is now growing, with plenty of Premier League offers set to be on the table.

As per Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre (11/08, 14:39), there’s interest from Villa in the striker, with Smith seeing the 24-year-old as his top transfer target this summer as he looks to solve his side’s goalscoring problems.

It’s claimed that Brentford are searching for £25m for the striker, whose ideal destination if he leaves West London is Villa Park, with his former boss Smith the key factor.

There’s interest from Sheffield United and Crystal Palace in the striker too, but Villa are described as sitting in the ‘box seat’ to get a deal done.

The Verdict

Smith was the man that signed Watkins for Brentford and although he’s peaked under Frank, he will credit the current Villa boss for a lot.

If the Villans want Watkins, it appears that all they have to do is put up the £25m to sign him, with the player more than willing to make the move.

When you consider the Premier League rivals that are interested alongside Villa, it would be a coup to get Watkins on board.

Thoughts? Let us know!