Aston Villa ‘should have sold Watkins as embarrassing Duran transfer emerges’
Aston Villa face a difficult situation with their attacking options this summer, and it is a self-inflicted problem.
Villa missed out on Champions League football by a narrow margin and are now paying the price as they find themselves needing to sell to resolve their PSR situation.
Ollie Watkins is one of several players linked with a move away, and this comes less than six months after Villa rejected a bid from Arsenal for the striker.
Unai Emery sold Jhon Duran instead and kept Watkins, and there may now be regret from all parties involved over the decision.
Duran in talks with Fenerbahce
Duran was emerging as one of the most exciting young strikers in European football, but he made a shock departure to move to Saudi Arabia in January.
After just a few months at Al-Nassr, he is now on the move again and could return to Europe with Fenerbahce.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 18 | 1,541 | 12 | 0 |
It has been reported in Turkey that Fenerbahce director Devin Ozek is in Colombia speaking to Duran’s representatives over a move, with the player keen to leave.
The 21-year-old now finds himself in an embarrassing situation, as he prepares to move to Turkey from Saudi Arabia, and things could have been so different if Villa’s January window had gone down another path.
Watkins could have been sold instead of Duran
PSR issues meant that one of Watkins or Duran had to be sold in January, especially given the arrival of Marcus Rashford on loan.
Emery may now regret keeping Watkins, as the 29-year-old is now seemingly unhappy at Villa Park, given that he was dropped for Rashford in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Had Watkins been sold instead, Villa would have had a ready-made long-term replacement in Duran, who could have been handed his starting role for years to come, and given the form he was in before his exit, they may have fared better than with Rashford upfront in the second half of the season.
Instead, Duran’s career path has not gone the way he expected, Watkins may leave anyway, and Villa missed out on a Champions League spot without resolving their financial issues, and all three parties will regret the decisions made in the winter window.
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