Ollie Watkins: Aston Villa agree fee for Brentford striker

By Phil McNultyChief football writer

Last updated on .From the section Aston Villacomments342

Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins scored 26 times as Brentford missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the play-off final

Aston Villa are closing in on a club-record deal for Brentford striker Ollie Watkins after agreeing a fee of £28m which could rise to £33m with add-ons.

Villa moved swiftly for the 24-year-old forward after failing in a bid to sign Callum Wilson from Bournemouth.

The England striker preferred to make a £20m move to Newcastle United.

Watkins was a key player for The Bees last season, scoring 26 goals as they missed out on promotion against Fulham in the Championship play-off final.

Villa manager Dean Smith has been determined to improve his striking options after his side only secured Premier League safety on the final day of last season.

Watkins will be reunited with Smith, who signed the forward when he was Brentford manager, paying an undisclosed fee to Exeter City in July 2017.

Smith's side scored 41 top-flight goals last season, but only six came from forwards - including five from Brazilian striker Wesley.

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344 comments

  • Wesley is in Brazil recovering from his ACL, Samatta is not up to it, and Davis has potential but cannot be relied on to stay fit (or score) So really Villa have no choice but to cough up the cash to get a striker in ahead of the first game. Clubs know we are desperate, and have rich owners, so negotiating position is weak.

    The lad has huge confidence & potential, and knows Smith well

  • He has cost more than Neves, Traore, Jota, Neto, Podence and as much as Raul...

    And Villa fans were mocking us buying Silva? You've just paid 30m for an Afobe. Good enough for champ but doubt he will score double figures in the league.

    • adamyclau replied:
      He will score more than Raul cos Raul is off 😂😂

  • Good business for both teams.

    Anyone criticising Brentford don't understand their "Moneyball" model. Matthew Benham has a structure that identifies undervalued talent (both at player and coaching level), gives it the best chance possible to thrive then aims to sell at a profit.

    As soon as they lost the play-off, Watkins was on his way. They've probably identified another gem to replace him

    • adamyclau replied:
      Marcondes will step up, he has just taken the number 9 shirt and is getting better every game

  • Watched him at Exeter City many times as a young player. He is a damned good player and Villa have done well signing him. Very popular lad with the fans too.

  • Ollie Watkins will double in value and you would know if you ever seen him play! Let’s talk about players coming from lesser places! Robertson,Vardy, every Latin American player,Wijnaldum, Henderson (champions league and premier league winning captain) just the usual so called “football fans” on here who know nothing! Maypauy went to Brighton and scored 2 winners vs Arsenal and kept Brighton up

    • PixelWolf replied:
      Afobe, Dicko, Austin, etc. For every Henderson there is a Leon Clarke.

      So you think a champ striker will be worth more than Jimenez? Wow. Shows what you know.

      So by your logic the kid needs to score and assist nearly 30 goals. Nice pressure to put on a player for a club not exactly in a great position.

      FFP will come into play and if not top 6 will have to sell players to be in the green.

  • Villa preparing for next season when they will be back in the Championship

    • paulc55 replied:
      Hilarious

  • Found his level

  • Very good player and proven goalscorer ready to step up. Another one like Wilson which Palace could have gone for, but haven't - I hope Mr Parish has something up his sleeve, or are we relying on what we have?

    I see that Sorloth scored twice for Norway yesterday, to go with all the goals he's scored in Turkey. Shame he's still out on loan, whilst Benteke is still with us .........

    • PixelWolf replied:
      Afobe was a proven goal scorer... Couldnt cut it in Prem. Champ is not the same. Ask Costa and Cav from Wolves.

  • £28 mill is the new £4.5 mill then.
    Looks like Villa have overpaid massively. Surely it would have been better to structure the deal so a total of £28 mill arrived in the form of add ons? Still, well done Brentford for getting the max 😑

    • Brian Russell replied:
      Dean Smith would not have paid 28 million if he did not know what Watkins was like. He has worked with him before at Brentford. I think Villa have signed a very, very good player. He will be an England international before the Euros start, hopefully replacing Harry Claim.

  • He's overpriced that much is obvious. But that is the bubble pardon the pun that top flight clubs live in now. The bottom half are hell bent staying in the league at any cost and will pay over the odds for a striker none of the top 10 are interested in. In 2 or 3 years a similar player will be 50m guaranteed. And as long as Villa finish outside the bottom 3 they wont care how many he scores.

  • Brentford already falling into the trap : spend before you earn. Nice bit of business between the Toney purchase and then selling their recognised striker, but they aren’t earning the major moolah yet ( they might never ) ? Ironically, Villa are involved, one of the biggest exponents of “how not to do it”.

    • Sirrantsalot replied:
      And yet they stayed up last season - OK skin of the teeth, but anywhere will do that isn't bottom 3.

  • Bee's fans worst nightmare

  • Yes, it's a lot of money but last season Villa up by 1 goal so even if he scores just 5 it could prove money well spent. This guy is quick, can finish and knows English football. He may not have played in the top tier yet but I think he will do well. There's never any guarantee someone will be a success but I wish him well.

  • Seeing all the comments about untested players in premier league. If that were the case , Virgil Van Dyck and Deli Alli would never have been purchased either.

    £28M is a whopping fee though i admit. If he scores 15 goals then he is worth it. Big step though

    • Jaffabhoy replied:
      Oh aye...Dele Alli is setting the Premier League on fire 🤣.
      An absolute duffer.

  • Very astute signing and hopefully the kind of player that will help them get a few goals next season. However I still think ultimately Villa will be relegated, along with Fulham, West Ham and Burnley.

    • MattC replied:
      Not another one........Zzzzzxx

  • Hmmm - Villa are spending close on £50m on two Championship players. Would they ever consider spending a similar sum on players with some proven Prem experience?

    • yugo there replied:
      Quality players seem not to want to sign for Dean Smith so he keeps shopping in the championship

  • Well done Brentford! £28m at least they stood their ground in their demands

    • Stuart replied:
      I'm not a Brentford fan yet in the late 80s/early 90s I was in London visiting a pal and we went to watch a Brentford match - it was rained off. I wonder which fixture that was. It was a night game.

  • Bye bye Brentford, you had your chance of the big time and blew it. Now your team is being broken up, the only way is down...!!!

    • Meadowender replied:
      With how many million in the bank?

  • Congratulations Olly, good luck and well done in your time at the Bees.

  • It's quite amusing how easy it is to spot comments from people who've never even watched him play but because he's from the Championship or joining a rival club, are dismissing him out of hand.

    What's worse, no opinion, or an ill-informed opinion? You figure it out.

    • Jeb replied:
      Opinions are like **** holes. Everyone has one and they normally stink. Although that's my opinion.

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