Aston Villa continue to lead the race to sign Brentford attacker Ollie Watkins this summer transfer window, as per a report from Football Insider.

The striker was on fire last season for the Bees as they made the play-off final and he came in second in the race for the Golden Boot in the Championship.

Of course, Brentford eventually lost out to Fulham in the battle for the final promotion spot at Wembley, and that has now sparked great speculation over some of their best players.

Watkins, of course, is one of them and several Premier League clubs are in the race for him at the moment but it is Villa who are reportedly leading the way, in part thanks to Dean Smith's relationship with the striker that was forged at Griffin Park.

The Verdict

Watkins would be an excellent signing for several sides in the top flight and his performance in the Championship last season only served to underline that.

It's little surprise to see clubs getting linked with him now that Brentford are set for another Championship season and where he ends up is anyone's guess right now.

Villa appear to have a good chance of getting him, though, and Villans would certainly like that to prove the case.