‘Watkins future clearer than ever’ as Aston Villa transfer to be sealed in hours
Ollie Watkins’ future at Aston Villa has been subject to much speculation this summer.
Watkins has arguably been Unai Emery’s most influential player since the Spaniard joined Villa in October 2022, and has finished as the club’s top goalscorer in each of his five seasons in the Midlands.
This has attracted plenty of potential suitors within the Premier League, and elicited a bid from Arsenal in January that the Villans duly rejected.
The Claret and Blues no longer possess the same financial power and are having to adopt a different approach this summer, with a player set to depart the club imminently.
Louie Barry set to join Sheffield United on loan
Louie Barry has featured in both of Villa’s pre-season defeats this summer after returning to the Midlands from his seventh loan spell.
The Englishman is once again looking to win favour over Emery and prove that he is worthy of a spot in the first-team squad after scoring 16 goals for Stockport County last season.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Ipswich | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Swindon | 16 | 6 | 1 |
| Milton Keynes | 32 | 1 | 3 |
| Salford | 21 | 2 | 1 |
| Stockport (x2) | 46 | 25 | 7 |
| Hull City | 4 | 0 | 0 |
However, Barry is now set to join Sheffield United on a season-long loan deal, according to the Express and Star (21 July).
The deal is expected to be concluded within 48 hours and will see the 22-year-old given another shot at the Championship after a knee injury prematurely ended his season with Hull City.
The striker’s move is hardly surprising, but it does make Watkins’ future clearer than ever as Emery will be left with just the England international as a recognised senior striker in the squad.
The former Paris Saint-Germain manager will be desperate to add attacking reinforcements throughout the summer, but will make it clear to his superiors that he can’t afford to lose his current number 11.
Villa need exciting new face to lift the mood
Following the excitement of the last few seasons of Emery’s project at Villa, the mood around the Midlands club and its fanbase has dropped dramatically.
Financial woes have left the Villans on shaky ground, while the 3-1 defeat to Hansa Rostock, a side competing in Germany’s third division, shows that the negativity is permeating through to the pitch.
There is also uncertainty over the futures of their star players, Monchi, and even their manager, all of which could quickly spiral out of control.
NSWE must do everything to ensure this does not happen, and should focus their efforts on bringing in a marquee signing to give everyone related to Villa a much-needed boost this summer.
Sign up for the Villa News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Aston Villa news sent straight to your phone.