Aston Villa are already in talks to sign Ollie Watkins on an upgraded deal this summer

Aston Villa are currently a long way from the incredible winning streak that gave them momentum at the start of the season. Although any hopes of winning the Premier League seem a long way off, Unai Emery’s side remain in a strong position to return to the Champions League.

However, with several star players out of form and a concerted effort to win the Europa League, the injury-hit squad feels a bit stretched.

Recent Premier League defeats against Wolves and Chelsea have certainly hampered Emery’s ambitions, and the disappointing form of No. 9 Ollie Watkins has given the Spaniard some food for thought.

For now, Watkins needs to get back to his best, but leading sides are already looking to upgrade their England squad ahead of the summer.

Aston Villa are in contract talks with striker

Watkins remains one of the best strikers in the Premier League, but he is now 30 years old and has definitely accumulated some wear and tear over the years.

Emery will likely want to remain at the club for years to come, but the NSWE group may be wise to sign a player who competes with the forward who could outshine the Three Lions star.

And Aston Villa may have found their man in Jonathan David. According to this week’s TEAMtalk, they are one of the clubs kept informed about the Juventus striker’s situation at Juventus.

Canadian captain David joined the Italian giants last summer when his contract with LOSC Lille expired. He has had a bit of a checkered period at Turin, but his past success as a consistent goalscorer at the highest level suggests he would be a great addition at Villa Park.

Of course, there are many other clubs that are interested. Especially Leeds United, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Why Aston Villa should sign David

Aston Villa signed Tammy Abraham for around £18 million in the January transfer window, so the No. 9 position is well-equipped.

Watkins could be moving closer to a smaller role in an Aston Villa shirt. He wasn’t at his best in the Premier League, appearing in eight Europa League games, two FA Cup games and one Carabao Cup game, but there was a gap in front of goal and as a direct creator.

Furthermore, given that the veteran has only scored once in his last eight top-flight appearances, it is clear that Villa lack the sharp and dynamic central figure that has been present throughout Emery’s reign.

And although David struggled at Juventus, he had a brilliant career in France, scoring 109 goals and providing 31 assists in 232 appearances.

He has only scored seven goals and provided five assists in 37 games for Juventus this year, but it’s worth noting that he has four goals and three assists in his last 11 Serie A games after a painfully slow start.

Technically astute and capable of dynamic, unpredictable movements, David is actually not all that similar to Watkins, and in that regard he could be the perfect successor.

Like the England star, David is also versatile and has dropped into the depths numerous times throughout his senior career. Moreover, his exploits in France have led podcast host Tony Marinaro to praise him as “one of the best strikers in the world”, and if he can replicate similar form in England’s Midlands, it would certainly prove an upgrade to the current version of Watkins.

Emery is unlikely to give Watkins the green light to leave Villa Park this summer, but bringing in David could be a smart move with long-term benefits.

His arrival will definitely signal a change of guard at centre-forward.