Aston Villa set to sign ‘one of the best in the world’ Watkins

Aston Villa’s hackles were raised ahead of the final game of this marathon campaign.

On Thursday evening, Villa Park will host Nottingham Forest, and Unai Emery’s team will be training to knock down one goal that will remove the carpet from Istanbul in the final, where they will face Sporting Braga or Freiburg.

Emery has worked wonders over the last few years in the Midlands, taking the Villans from their relegation zone to the Premier League and leading them to a string of strong European victories.

But there are a few things left to be desired this season, such as his team’s sharpness in attack.

Aston Villa are starting work to replace Watkins

Ollie Watkins has been the mainstay of Emery’s Aston Villa attack since replacing Steven Gerrard back in 2022. However, the 30-year-old striker has ebbed and flowed this year, and Tammy Abraham’s efforts as a support act have led to speculation about a future Villa signing for the number nine.

Watkins has been discussed as not being sold this summer, or Emery against selling his free-scoring striker, but the truth is that he has gone a long way without scoring in the Premier League this season, and a renewal would not be amiss.

According to Football Insider, Villa are already preparing to launch a summer move for Juventus striker Jonathan David, who has been eyed for a long time at the club.

David, 26, has struggled in Serie A, joining Juve at the end of his LOSC Lille contract in 2025, but his career in France has been full of goals, and he has previously spoken of his desire to play in the Premier League.

Why David would be better than Villa’s Watkins

Signing David would be a risk after a lackluster year as Juventus star, but he is in the prime of his career and has the potential to score buckets of goals in the Premier League, renewing his “crazy” status in France, as praised by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

Recorded “one of the best strikers in the world” by sports commentator Tony Marinaro during his Ligue 1 success, the Canadian striker has scored just eight goals and provided five assists in 44 games in black and white, but his previous record speaks for itself.

David’s energy and communication skills set him apart from the pack. This time, he could be the star at Aston Villa, a cut-throat man to pick up the baton vacated by consistent goalscorer Watkins.

Despite his struggles, David has maintained a creative flow, creating four big chances in Serie A this year while playing an important pass once a game on average. For a forward, this is surprising, for example, Watkins, creates only 0.6 key passes per Premier League game.

Let’s not forget that the traveling striker scored 109 goals and provided 31 assists in 232 games for Lille, with his international record with Canada netting 39 goals in just 75 outings.

Watkins has remained steady for most of the campaign at Aston Villa, but questions need to be raised ahead of the summer transfer window. The veteran has scored 11 goals in the league, but has missed 17 big chances; will that be better next year?

The figures were not yet clear, but David would be keen for a change of scenery after a difficult year in Italy, and given the many details Villa have made for the striker over the past few years, this could prove a shrewd deal indeed.