Aston Villa have simple Watkins transfer decision after £60.5m Openda update
Aston Villa have been dealing with speculation surrounding OIlie Watkins’ future for what has felt like an eternity in the last few months.
The striker has been heavily linked with a move away from Villa Park, as Monchi and Co. look set to potentially face some difficult decisions in the transfer market.
Villa have received continuous interest in Watkins from Manchester United, and talks have recently been held between the pair about a potential swap deal involving Villa target Alejandro Garnacho.
Unai Emery’s side have very little room to manoeuvre in the transfer market this summer, so it is important that any fresh arrivals are also offset by exits.
Aston Villa can’t lose Watkins as £60m Openda pricetag emerges
A large part of the speculation surrounding Watkins’ Villa future has come as a result of Emery’s decision to drop him for the crucial Champions League quarter-final against PSG back in April.
The 29-year-old has been a fantastic servant in B6 over the last five years, and he was right to feel aggrieved by the Spanish boss’ decision to opt for Marcus Rashford to lead the line instead.
Things seemingly haven’t been quite right since that decision, and there have now been suggestions that the Villans could be prepared to bring in RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda to replace their star.
The second city outfit are showing a serious interest in the Belgian, and Leipzig have now specified that it will take around £60.5million for them to entertain a potential sale this summer, according to Bild (31 July).
Openda also has a release clause within his contract, which is set at just shy of £70m, but he has not yet approached the Leipzig hierarchy about a move.
- Watkins has struck double-figures for Premier League goals in five straight seasons
- He has a staggering 71 goal contributions across the last two seasons
- He has been Villa’s top Premier League scorer in each of his five seasons in B6
With the German side’s valuation now clear, it has become even more apparent that Villa would be unable to get hold of the 25-year-old without selling Watkins.
However, while the former Lens man has enjoyed an excellent couple of seasons in the Bundesliga, Watkins has a proven track record in the Premier League.
Unless the England international makes it clear that he wants to leave, then Villa should have a simple decision to stick with the man who has been so reliable for them in front of goal in recent seasons, rather than taking a gamble on a fresh face.
Openda would be an expensive gamble for Villa
Villa should be wary about pursuing an expensive move for Openda, given the track record of strikers who have left Leipzig for big money in the last few seasons.
Both Christopher Nkunku and Timo Werner are inside the Bundesliga outfit’s top six highest sales, and neither have been able to translate their form across to the Premier League.
| Openda | Nkunku | Werner | |
| Apps | 90 | 172 | 211 |
| Goals | 41 | 70 | 113 |
| Assists | 14 | 43 | 40 |
| G+A per 90 | 0.72 | 0.82 | 0.89 |
| Highest Scoring Season | 28 Goals (23/24) | 35 Goals (21/22) | 34 Goals (19/20) |
Both had a superior record to that of Openda during their stints at Leipzig.
There is certainly no guarantee that the Belgian would turn out as poorly in England as those two predecessors, but it must be something Villa bear in mind, given the general quality of Bundesliga defences.
£60.5m is a huge fee in the context of their summer, irrespective of how Watkins’ situation unfolds, and they should only spend that kind of money if they are absolutely certain that a player will perform at the level.
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