Ollie Watkins tipped to quit Aston Villa as ‘friction’ mooted
Bryan King has speculated there is “friction” between Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran, which could lead to one of the strikers quitting Aston Villa and being replaced by Louie Barry.
The ex-Villa scout doesn’t think Watkins and Duran complement one another.
As reported by Fichajes [17 November], Leicester City and Tottenham are both interested in Aston Villa striker Barry, who is currently on loan at Stockport County.
However, King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – has backed Villa to keep hold of the 21-year-old as a replacement for either Watkins or Duran.
“I’m not sure Duran and Watkins complement one another,” King said.
“There seems to be a bit of friction whenever the two of them play together. If Barry is proving to be a success, would Villa want to sell him? Even if the right offer were to arrive.
“Villa might consider selling Watkins or Duran and replacing that player with Barry. If he is attracting interest from other Premier League clubs, why not bring him back to Villa Park?”
Ollie Watkins or Jhon Duran to quit Aston Villa?
Barry has 11 goals in 16 games in League One this season, and this form will no doubt have caught Unai Emery’s eye.
The striker will be 22 at the beginning of next season. Therefore, it feels as though now is the time for Villa to make a decision on the Englishman’s future.
While supporters might not like the sound of Watkins or Duran moving on, if Barry can kick on in a Villa shirt, he could prove a useful understudy to whoever remains at the club.
Not many supporters would have expected Duran to do as well as he has done this season. Therefore, there is no reason why Barry couldn’t do the same next year, especially if he continues to develop at Stockport.
In other Aston Villa news, John McGinn is in a “painful” situation after what a Sky Sports pundit noticed.
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