Watford will sign Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis for £15million if promoted – Ashley Preece
Watford will be obliged to sign Aston Villa forward Keinan Davis for £15million if they gain promotion to the Premier League this season, according to Ashley Preece.
The Villans striker has struggled for regular game time at Villa Park since bursting onto the scene under Steve Bruce in the Championship and has spent successive seasons on loan at Nottingham Forest and the Hornets.
According to Birmingham Live journalist Preece (Friday 27 January), a clause has been inserted in Davis’ current loan agreement that forces Watford to sign the striker from Unai Emery’s side if they get promoted out of the Championship this season.
He wrote: “Has missed Watford’s last two games with a hamstring injury but could return against Middlesbrough tomorrow.
“The Hornets have signed striker Henrique Araujo on loan from Benfica so there’s less need to rush Villa loanee Davis back. Davis, 24, has four goals from his 18 appearances this season.
“Watford will sign the forward for £15m if they’re promoted. Slaven Bilic’s men are currently third and in the play-off places.”
Great price tag
Although Davis has always looked like a threat for Aston Villa whenever offered the chance to start from the first whistle, he is rather profligate in front of goal at Premier League level.
A return of nine goals from over 70 games in claret and blue is simply not good enough to warrant his position in the first team. The Villa hierarchy could therefore be left cheering on the Hornets in the closing stages of the season and hoping to scoop up a more than generous price tag attached to his name.
Considering Villa sold the far more experienced and renowned goal scorer Danny Ings for exactly the same fee as that proposed by Preece, this is some outstanding business by the club.
It is a shame it has never worked out for the 24-year-old at Villa Park, as he has all the raw materials to be a fearsome Premier League striker. For some reason, though, it never quite clicked.
In other Aston Villa news, James Maddison is one to watch for the Villans in their next game.