Villa Park Journalist Drops Big January Claim.
New Aston Villa striker at the top of January’s wish list
Unai Emery is struggling for reliable centre forward options beyond Ollie Watkins.
Unai Emery has transformed Aston Villa into a serious contender for the Premier League title, but Sunday People chief sports columnist Neil Moxley explains why they need to bring in another striker when the January transfer window opens.
Unai Emery has transformed Aston Villa into a serious contender for the Premier League title, but Sunday People chief sports columnist Neil Moxley explains why they need to bring in another striker when the January transfer window opens.
Unai Emery has transformed Aston Villa into a serious contender for the Premier League title, but Sunday People chief sports columnist Neil Moxley explains why they need to bring in another striker when the January transfer window opens.
He quickly established himself as the club’s top scorer, scoring 16 goals and providing five assists in his first season in the top flight in 2020/21, and was the driving force behind their Europa Conference League success in 2022/23. Since the start of the new season, he has been as prolific as ever, with eight goals and assists to his name in the Premier League.
| Ollie Watkins vs Aston Villa squad – Premier League statistics (as of 07/12/23) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Metric | Output | Squad rank |
| Rating | 7.35 | 1st |
| Minutes | 1,313 | 4th |
| Goals | 8 | 1st |
| Shots per game | 3 | 1st |
| Aerial duels won per game | 1.1 | 2nd |
| Key passes per game | 1.6 | 3rd |
Watkins’ knack of scoring like it’s going out of fashion attracted the attention of top clubs across Europe, including perennial Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, although Thomas Tuchel chose to sign his compatriot Harry Kane instead.
Looking beyond Watkins, however, is where the problems for Emery begin. The Spaniard’s second-in-command is 19-year old striker Jhon Duran. Signed from Chicago Fire in January for £18m, Duran has four goals in 28 games, while Watkins continues to shine.
Despite Moxley recently naming the Colombian marksman ‘one to watch’ in an interview, there are concerns about Duran’s ability to ‘carry the weight’ of a potential title challenge, despite being a first-team regular.
“Ollie Watkins is a key player for us,” Moxley said.
Watkins’ knack of scoring goals like they’re going out of style has caught the attention of top clubs across Europe, including perennial Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, although Thomas Tuchel chose to sign his countryman Harry Kane instead.
However, it is in the second row that the problems for Emery begin. His second-in-line striker is 19-year old Chicago Fire loanee Duran, who joined the club for £18 million in January. Duran has scored four times in 28 games, while Watkins continues to shine.
Despite Moxley naming Duran as one to watch, there are concerns that he is not up to the challenge of carrying the burden of leading a title challenge, despite being one of the best players on the team.
“Ollie is a key player for us,” Moxley said. “I don’t think anyone can replace him.”
If the Englishman were to be ruled out for any reason, Moxley said it would have a huge impact on Villa’s chances of winning the title, and would be their top priority to sign an understudy striker in the January transfer window.
“The only place he doesn’t have an option is upfront,” Moxley said. “Ollie Watkins is such a key player, not just in terms of his goals, although they play a massive role, but in terms of how Villa operate. I don’t think they have a striker yet who can take on the burden of a title challenge.”
Moxley added: “I’m not saying Jhon Duran isn’t a player, there’s no doubt he has all the physical attributes, and it’s up to him to see how far he can develop in the game, but that goal he scored against Crystal Palace showed he has an eye for goal.
But if something were to go wrong with Ollie, then I think Villa’s title hopes would take a massive hit. So I’m looking for a capable replacement for Watkins, someone cut out of the same mold, whether they’re a younger version or not, someone who can make it in and out of the Premier League, and I think that’s going to be at the top of Villa’s list for January. I’d be shocked if Unai doesn’t act on that and go and get someone.
Tammy Abraham to Villa?
Villa are in talks to bring on-loan Roma forward striker Tammy Abraham back to the club, Football Insider reports. Abraham, 26, joined the Villans on a one-year loan in the summer of 2018 and could be set to return to the club in the near future, either in January or in the summer of 2019.
It’s also been reported that Duran may be allowed to leave when the January January transfer window opens for business amid mounting concerns over his conduct, with Villa staff describing him as ‘a handful’. Replacing him with ex-Chelsea starlet Abraham would be a smart move, particularly as he played such a key role in Villa’s promotion-winning 2018/19 season, scoring 26 goals and providing three assists.
