Why the latest Alexander Isak update is a major concern for Aston Villa
Alexander Isak has become the hot topic of the summer transfer window.
Summer is all about recruitment, and for Aston Villa, very little progress has been made on that front ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
Only two new arrivals have checked in at Villa Park, and neither are likely to push the Villans to the next level, which is exactly what Unai Emery needs.
However, the latest update on Isak could serve as the biggest blow yet for Aston Villa, with news emerging of his potential replacement.
Ollie Watkins could replace Isak at Newcastle
Since arriving at Villa Park, Ollie Watkins has been a reliable source of goals, and right now, he is the only forward who can be attributed with that profile.
However, according to Craig Hope via X (1 August), he will be the “likely” replacement for Isak should the Swedish striker’s transfer to Liverpool go through.
The Reds have had an initial £110million bid rejected for Isak, with Newcastle said to be holding out for a fee in the region of £150m.
Straight away, there isn’t much disparity between the initial bid and asking price, meaning there is a high likelihood that this transfer will go through at some stage this summer.
It will serve as a major concern for the Villans, who will not want to lose their star striker just weeks before they return to Premier League action.
Emery cannot afford to lose Watkins
It would be nothing short of a disaster should Villa lose Watkins to Newcastle for several reasons, though none as much as the fact that it would leave them with less than a month to find his replacement.
Added to that, the price it would take to find his replacement will go up dramatically as the 1 September deadline gets closer.
The next few days will paint a clearer picture as to where Isak’s future stands, which will, in turn, do the same for Watkins.
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