Ollie Watkins has hinted that he is set to remain at Aston Villa this summer, despite constant rumours of a big-money transfer.
The England international has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most prolific strikers since his arrival at Villa Park in 2020 and he has been heavily linked with a departure this year.
Newcastle United are now considered to be the frontrunners for Watkins’ signature as things stand, with Manchester United out of contention after purchasing RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko for an initial transfer fee of €76.5m.
Eddie Howe’s side have lined up a number of possible replacements for Alexander Isak, who could be set to join Liverpool for a Premier League record fee, although Nicolas Jackson and Yoane Wissa appear to be the most likely candidates to secure a switch to St James’ Park.
Furthermore, Watkins has now hinted that his future remains at Aston Villa.
What has Ollie Watkins said?
Speaking after Aston Villa’s 2-0 victory over Villarreal in their final pre-season friendly, Watkins told VillaTV: “I think pre-season is crucial for yourself as a player. It sets the foundations going into the season.
“Last season I didn’t have that, I didn’t play any pre-season games, so I was playing catch up in the season. For me it is massive, so it’s nice to get your confidence up and go into the season all guns blazing.”
Watkins added: “The last game was here [Villarreal] tonight and we’ve finished on a positive, so it puts us in good stead for the weekend.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Villa Park, we’ve not played there in pre-season so it will be nice to play in front of a full Villa Park again.
“I’ve missed that feeling and I’m looking forward to playing many more games in the season. We have got big targets for the season. It’s a big game against Newcastle on Saturday and then we’ll roll on from there.”
Watkins, whose current contract with Unai Emery’s side runs until 2028, has scored 87 goals in 223 appearances for Aston Villa, while his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €63.5m.
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