‘Watkins to demand Aston Villa exit’ as Jamie Vardy transfer update emerges
Ollie Watkins is unlikely to be happy at Aston Villa if Jamie Vardy were to move to Villa Park in the summer.
The England international has come under fire in recent weeks as his competition for a place with Marcus Rashford has caused controversy.
This has resulted in a number of exit reports at Villa Park, but there is every chance that the 29-year-old could still remain in B6 moving into next season.
With that being said, Watkins is unlikely to see his future in the West Midlands if Vardy is to come in from Leicester City.
Vardy could replace Watkins at Aston Villa
It is fair to say that the 38-year-old is one of the most well-known forwards in recent Premier League history despite his struggles this season.
After scoring just seven goals this campaign, the Foxes now face relegation back to the Championship, but Vardy has announced his departure.
The Englishman has his eye on a place at a Premier League club, which could see the Villans step in and take on the experienced number nine.
This has been mooted by Ben Foster on the Football Fill-In (29 April) as he said: “I think Jamie Vardy, genuinely I do mean this, could sign for probably 15 Premier League teams.
“He’s not going to be the main man, but what he will do is come off the bench and give you everything he’s got.
Co-host, Tom Ochoa, questioned: “If you were Villa…” Before Foster added, “He could sign for them. I see that.”
If this deal were to go through, it is fair to say that Watkins would be fuming after proving his lack of ability to cope with competition in claret and blue.
Watkins may be done at Aston Villa
It is fair to say that the former Brentford man has struggled to deal with other strikers behind him at Villa Park over the years.
This was once the case with Danny Ings and continued into the current campaign with Jhon Duran before his eventual sale to Al-Nassr.
Despite this sale, it continued with Rashford, who made a large number of starts ahead of the number 11 before picking up an injury.
With that in mind, bringing in Vardy would add another level of competition, which may not be appreciated by Watkins.
| Stat (Premier League 24/25) | Ollie Watkins | Jamie Vardy |
| Appearances | 34 | 32 |
| Goals | 15 | 7 |
| Assists | 7 | 3 |
This could leave Unai Emery with no decision to move on his star striker with the hope of replacing him adequately across the rest of the window.