Agbonlahor shares what he has seen about Watkins to Man United
Aston Villa are bracing for an approach from Manchester United for Ollie Watkins.
Watkins featured 54 times for the Villans last season, notching 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions.
However, Unai Emery does not necessarily see him his preferred option in the number nine position, and that was evident when the likes of Jhon Duran and Marcus Rashford started over him.
Whether Villa would entertain a sale though, is a different matter entirely.
Agbonlahor does not think Villa will sell Watkins
Watkins has been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal, but it is the former who seems to have the most concrete interest.
A report from Sky Sports (24 July) claims that the Red Devils have held preliminary talks with Villa over a potential swoop for the England forward.
However, former Villans icon Gabby Agbonlahor believes that the 29-year-old will stay put this summer, especially after what he has seen recently.
Speaking on talkSPORT (24 July, 18:05), he said: “I’ve already seen on social media, Aston Villa says no.
“I just look at this deal, what Aston Villa would value him at, he is 30 in December.
“I don’t think Manchester United are going to want to pay what Villa are asking, £60million.”
Villa should keep Watkins amid Man United interest
The Villans are used to their top players being linked with moves away in recent months, especially with the Profit and Sustainability issues that were hanging over their heads.
The likes of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans were linked with exits, but the B6 outfit sold their women’s team to V Sports to avoid a breach.
Therefore, they do not need to sell, and they can afford to keep Watkins around despite the interest in his services
He has scored 87 goals and assisted 42 times in 223 matches so far in his career at Villa Park, and to find somebody who could replicate that return would be a difficult task.
It would be even harder due to the fact that they missed out on Champions League football on the final day of the season and will play in the Europa League as a result.
That will make it harder to attract their top targets, and with so many other sides looking for a number nine, it makes sense to keep hold of the man that they have, rather than risk selling him and finding a replacement.
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