Aston Villa duo Keinan Davis and Cameron Archer on Watford radar – report
Recently relegated Watford have identified two Aston Villa strikers as players who could fire them back into the Premier League, according to The Athletic.
The Hornets, under new manager Rob Edwards, are keeping a very close eye on 20-year-old Cameron Archer and 24-year-old Keinan Davis as they look to build a side to earn promotion at the first time of asking in the second tier.
Both players spent some part of the 2021-22 season out on loan with Archer scoring seven times for Preston North End despite only signing for the Lilywhites in January.
Davis was also allowed to temporarily leave the club in January but he headed to the City Ground where his five goals helped Nottingham Forest surge into the playoffs, eventually winning promotion in the final at Wembley.
A move for the 24-year-old is less likely than Archer moving at this stage as Forest hold an early advantage in the race to sign him after his previous exploits under Steve Cooper.
One stays, one goes
It doesn’t take a mathematical genius to understand that playing with only one striker, as Steven Gerrard does at Aston Villa, won’t allow the club’s four contracted number nines to get the playing time they desire.
Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins are the obvious numbers one and two at the club considering both have proven their worth in the Premier League while the others are yet to have the chance to do so.
Gerrard could feasibly take a risk and sell one of his senior stars to promote either Davis or Archer to the first team but that would be a big risk to take when he is investing so much into the side already.
Another loan to the Championship, this time for a full campaign, will probably do Archer the world of good with time on his side to make the grade in the top flight but Davis may be about to have his last chance.
If the 24-year-old can impress in pre-season, he may earn himself the odd chance under Gerrard but the more likely outcome might be a permanent exit from the Midlands.
In other Aston Villa news, Gerrard’s pursuit of a new central defender has taken him to Lancashire and an international who turned heads during the 2021-22 season.