According to Mick Brown via Football Insider, Ollie Watkins will be open to a move to Liverpool, who are on the lookout for a new striker as their manager Arne Slot is not happy with the current options at his disposal. They consider Aston Villa an ideal fit for their system and could offer him the opportunity to lead their line next season.
While speaking to Football Insider, the former Aston Villa scout said: “Liverpool have won the league without much pressure,”
“Arsenal fell away and Man City have fallen off a cliff, that won’t be the case next season.
“So they know they will need better options in certain positions, and one of those positions is a centre-forward, because the manager isn’t happy with his options.
“They have a few ideas about which players they’re going to look at, and Ollie Watkins is one.
“The reason for that is he’s different to most strikers at the moment because he always wants to stretch the defence, drift wide and run in behind.
“That’s what Liverpool want to do, they want players who can threaten in behind.
“Salah is a perfect example, but that’s also why they signed the likes of Nunez and Diaz because they’re always willing to make those runs.
“Watkins does that very well, so Liverpool will be interested in him.
“When you’re Premier League champions, you always have the upper hand when it comes to transfers, particularly if you can offer a place in the starting XI.
“If you offered Watkins the chance to become the starting striker for Liverpool he’d want to make that move.
“So if he leaves Villa, there’s no doubt there will be interest, and Liverpool would be the favourites.”
Watkins has been a key figure in the Aston Villa setup since his arrival in 2020 from Brentford. While he has been one of their mainstays and is enjoying another successful season with 29 goal contributions this season, his future has become a big taking point of late.
The arrival of Marcus Rashford in the winter transfer window has affected his game time and he is not entirely pleased about the situation. While his deal at Villa runs until the summer of 2028, he could push for a move away from the club.
Meanwhile, reports suggest Villa could look to cash in on him if they receive an offer worth around £50-60 million. A potential sale of Watkins could help secure the services of Rashford on a permanent basis.
Amidst all this talk about the English international’s signature, Liverpool have emerged as a potential destination for the 29-year-old. The Reds will soon be crowned Premier League champions. While this season has been relatively comfortable for them, next season may not be as straightforward.
Arne Slot is well aware of that and he wants to make necessary changes to his squad to ensure they can once again push for the title. He wants to bring in a top-level forward to take his attack to the next level as he is not satisfied with the performances of his current forward.
Slot considers Watkins an ideal fit for his system, as he can not only score goals and create chances but also uses his pace to run in behind defences. He is not a traditional number nine; instead, he likes to drift wide and stretch the opposition’s backline, a quality the Dutch manager values highly. As a result, the Reds are ready to push hard for his signing.
They are willing to offer him a place in their starting XI and do have an upper hand on other interested clubs as they are set to win the league. Brown believes Watkins will certainly be interested in leading the line of the Reds. He would be open to playing for Slot’s team starting next season. If he does end up leaving Villa, the Merseyside club will be out-and-out favourites for his signature.
