Chelsea are interested in a move for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins this summer, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
The England international scored 16 goals in all competitions last season, as he hit top form under Unai Emery in the second half of the season.
He established himself as one of Villa’s most important players, and even went on a remarkable scoring run of 11 goals in 12 games, helping his side qualify for the Europa Conference League.
In his Substack, Phillips revealed the interest from Chelsea as Mauricio Pochettino aims to add another striker to his ranks, and the 27-year-old is seen as a good fit for the Blues.
With Villa qualifying for Europe, and Chelsea failing to do so, Emery may hope to hold on to one of his star players in what has been an ambitious window so far. Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Moussa Diaby have all been signed this summer, and losing such an important figure could be a major setback.
How important is Watkins to Aston Villa?
The striker has been phenomenal in front of goal at times since joining from Brentford in 2020, scoring 43 and assisting 13 times in 116 appearances, and he usurped Danny Ings as the main choice through the middle.
With Villa adding additional creativity in Tielemans and Diaby, he could be set for an even more productive campaign next season, and will aim to work on his consistency.
Whilst he has been described as “outstanding” by former manager Dean Smith, he does tend to hit his best form in patches. He scored just twice in his first 15 appearances this season, then hit 11 in 12 midway through the campaign, before finishing with just one strike in his final seven games of the season.
A full season under Emery, with the additional improvements in the Villa side, could see him score throughout an entire campaign, and losing him before he hits his prime years and potentially his best form would come with some frustration.
