Stoke City are set for disappointment in their pursuit of Keinan Davis, with Dean Smith keen to keep the striker at Aston Villa to cover Ollie Watkins. 

As per Sky Sports' Transfer Centre (05/01, 09:01), Stoke are the Championship club interested in doing a deal with Villa for Davis this January, as Michael O'Neill aims to improve his options in the final third.

However, it is also claimed that Smith is not keen on parting with Davis this winter. He's providing competition for Watkins in attack, with Wesley remaining sidelined still at Villa Park.

Davis, 22, hasn't started a game in the Premier League this season, but has still made four appearances for Villa during their impressive start to the 2020/21 campaign.

His wait for a Premier League goal goes on, though.

The striker has scored only two league goals in 61 appearances for Villa since breaking through into the first-team.

A further three goals have come in the cup competitions, but Davis has, largely, remained a supporting act during his time with the Villa first-team squad.

This season, Watkins has led the line for Smith and scored six goals.

Quiz: Have Stoke City done these 15 things in the last 10 years? – Yes or no?

In terms of Stoke, they sit eighth in the Championship table and a couple of points adrift of the play-off places.

They hope to add enough firepower to push on into the top-six in 2021.

The Verdict 

Villa's stance on Davis is fair enough. He's their cover for Watkins at the moment and it would be foolish to offload him at this stage.

For Stoke, it's not really a massive blow.

Davis is a handful, but he's hardly a huge goal threat.

His two league goals in 60+ appearances is woeful and O'Neill will surely be targeting better than that in the January window.

Thoughts? Let us know!