Agbonlahor ‘risks wrath of every Man United fan’ over Ollie Watkins comment
Ollie Watkins’ future at Aston Villa remains uncertain amid links to Manchester United.
The England forward was left on the bench for some crucial games last season, which has led to speculation that he could be sold this summer.
Manchester United and Arsenal are among the clubs believed to be tracking Watkins, although no official bids have been made.
This has led to conversations in the media about the ideal destination for the striker next season.
Agbonlahor says Watkins to Manchester United would be ‘a move backwards’
talkSPORT host and Villa legend Gabriel Agbonlahor was asked about the rumours linking Watkins with a move to Old Trafford during the show on Thursday (3 June).
And he was adamant that this transfer would not happen.
He said: “Watkins will have some disappointment [about last season], but I still think he’ll have enough at the club and will want to stay, and I feel like moving to Manchester United is a move backwards.
“I think if he wanted to leave, he would go to a Champions League-playing club, not Manchester United.”
His comments baited angry Manchester United fans to call the show and correct him on his opinions.
But Agbonlahor stood his ground, stating that Manchester United will not finish above Aston Villa in the Premier League next season.
Agbonlahor’s Watkins comments make sense
Agbonlahor is very good at making comments that bait football fans into arguing with him.
However, his comments on Watkins are based on logic.
Manchester United finished 15th last season, a full 24 points behind Villa.
This isn’t a one-off bad season from the Red Devils, either. It’s the result of a slow decline. They are slowly getting worse, and there’s no sign of a dramatic improvement on the horizon.
Even if Watkins did move to Old Trafford, there’s little chance of a 24-point swing next season.
The only reason why Manchester United supporters would get so angry at Agbonlahor’s comments is because they’re know he’s right.
| Ollie Watkins Aston Villa Statistics | |
| Signed | September 2020 |
| Appearances | 224 |
| Goals | 87 |
Despite the transfer speculation surrounding Watkins, the most likely outcome is that he will remain at Villa Park. Jhon Duran and Marcus Rashford were picked ahead of him at times last season, but they’ve both left the club. The way things stand, Villa can’t afford to lose him.
Unai Emery remains a huge admirer of Watkins and will surely have told the Englishman that he’s set to be the main man for this upcoming season.
Unless a huge club comes in with a mammoth bid for his services, there will be little that can stop that from happening.
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