Aston Villa could lose a key player in the summer transfer window as he is considering leaving the club, and AC Milan are very keen to sign the player.
Unai Emery may have been dreaming of a Premier League title not too long ago, but the reality of Villa’s season has since come into sharp focus.
Three wins in their last 10 league games have enabled them to close the gap on Villa’s pack chasing Champions League contention, and what was once a title race has been reduced to an increasingly tense battle to maintain fourth place.
However, Villa still hold the cards and are five points behind Liverpool.
With seven games remaining and the Europa League quarter-final against Bologna just around the corner, the stakes couldn’t be higher. For this club, Champions League revenue is not a luxury but a financial pillar.
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They may be able to sign him this summer for a bargain price.
But as Emery strives to secure a top-four spot on the pitch, questions are starting to mount over the summer rebuild that awaits, regardless of how the season ends.
And now, sitting in the middle of those questions sits one of Villa Park’s most prominent players.
Ollie Watkins considers leaving Aston Villa after interest from AC Milan
According to Sports Boom, AC Milan are keen to sign Ollie Watkins in the summer transfer window, with the Rossoneri showing genuine and concrete interest in the England striker next season.
Timing is important.
Watkins, 30, was absent from Thomas Tuchel’s England 35-man squad for recent friendlies against Uruguay and Japan during the international break, a very public indication that the Villa striker is no longer in consideration for this summer’s World Cup, at least in the eyes of the national team manager.
His absence will be devastating for a player who was one of England’s best batting options at his peak.
Watkins had 17 goals and 14 assists last season, making him one of the league’s most coveted strikers.
This term he has scored 10 goals and provided 2 assists in all competitions. The standards he set for himself made the relative decline all the more pronounced.
Manchester United had their eye on Watkins before ultimately signing Benjamin Sesco, but Massimiliano Allegri’s side have become a new threat.
Their need is clear.
Despite being second in Serie A, they have scored fewer goals than any of the other teams in the top five, with only Napoli missing out more.
They previously invested around £90m combined in Santiago Jimenez and Christopher Nkunku, but neither have been able to consistently solve their problems.
Watkins himself remains under contract at Villa Park until 2028, but Sport Boom believes the striker could be looking to leave to revive his career amid growing interest from Milan.
For Villa, the question is not simply whether to sell, but whether they can adequately replace him while competing on multiple fronts at the same time.
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The race is on…
