Ollie Watkins exit: Aston Villa star to ‘be made available’ in shock admission
Darren Bent believes Aston Villa could sell Ollie Watkins instead of Jhon Duran despite the latter’s links with a move away.
This comes after news that West Ham submitted a new offer for their 21-year-old Colombian [Graeme Bailey], a bid which was quickly rejected due to it being miles apart from their £60million+ valuation.
With Unai Emery’s side rejecting multiple moves for Duran during the summer, a move does look to be on the cards any time soon, prompting Bent to suggest a move away for Watkins instead.
Speaking live via talkSPORT [14 January, 4:37pm], Bent said: “I wonder what Villa are going to do in the summer because he [Jhon Duran] looked like he was taking over from Ollie Watkins.
“Watkins is 29 years old. Are Villa going to be prepared to let Duran go? I’m not quite sure they are, so maybe Watkins might be made available, but that would be nuts as well.”
Aston Villa to cash in on Ollie Watkins to keep Jhon Duran?
It seems massively unlikely that the Villans will part ways with one of their most prolific strikers in recent years, with the former Brentford man scoring 78 goals in 198 appearances since 2020.
The Torquay-born forward also boasts 33 assists in that time, doing more than enough to win X caps for the England national team, becoming one of the best strikers in English football.
While he has been far from his best this season, Watkins has still managed eight goals and four assists in 20 Premier League appearances, proving just how crucial he is to Emery’s set-up.
If a decision needs to be made between Watkins and Duran, fans are much more likely to sell the latter due to the eye-watering price tag that could come with his exit, but that day is not upon us yet.
The Colombian’s exit seems far more likely, with clubs from all over Europe likely keeping an eye on him this month and ahead of the summer window, though Emery would love to keep them both.
In other Aston Villa news, Diego Carlos should pack his bags immediately as new talks are opened at Villa Park.
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