Pundit shares how Ollie Watkins can help Unai Emery and Aston Villa complete Ronnie Edwards transfer
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
A transfer to Aston Villa for Ronnie Edwards “ticks all the boxes” for the defender because he shares an agent with striker Ollie Watkins, according to Alan Hutton.
It was reported by the Mail on Sunday (7 January) that Villa joined the race for the signature of the Peterborough star having expressed an interest in his services alongside Premier League rivals West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
Palace are understood to have already seen three bids knocked by Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony who has repeatedly insisted that the young defender is not for sale at any price.
Hutton has previously suggested that Edwards would be an excellent signing for Emery’s side, but he also believes Villa are in an “ideal” position to secure his services before other clubs thanks to the connection with Watkins.
“It definitely helps,” Hutton told Villa News.
“You’ve got somebody already within the club that you can speak to, you can bounce off of. You’ve got an agent who has already worked with the club probably on numerous contracts so again, they know the insides of the dealings of what goes on which makes it easier.
“I think it ticks all the boxes, you can get all the information without actually being there which is ideal and then you can make your decision and it will come down to the player.
“I think it’s a good position to be in from an Aston Villa point of view moving forward and from a player’s point of view you get all the knowledge without even being there.”
Edwards has already made 25 appearances for Peterborough this season and has become a regular part of their defence in League One. Despite his young age, he has already made more than 100 professional appearances for the Posh, hence why so many teams want to sign him.
That interest and Peterborough’s reluctance to sell means any deal will not come cheap whether this month or in the summer, but it seems as though Aston Villa are in the perfect position to win the race for his services.
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton has been left thrilled by the “ideal” situation surrounding Douglas Luiz at Vil