The Ollie Watkins transfer saga continues to twist and turn, as the striker reportedly returned to training on Monday and apologised to his teammates after he missed Aston Villa’s 4-0 defeat to Brighton, meanwhile, the club have expressed interest in two more attackers.
The Athletic reported that Watkins had not been training with Villa in the days leading up to the Premier League opener, as Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal continues to bid for the England international.
Villa have held firm on their stance that they do not want to sell Watkins, offering him a contract extension through 2030. However, the striker’s camp is reportedly pushing for the move and there has been speculation he refused to play against Brighton.
While Villa still seem hopeful of keeping Watkins, they also look to be lining up potential replacements in the background in the event he does go.
Nicolas Jackson has been the name most often linked throughout the summer, but two more have emerged in the last day or two.
Several media outlets connected Villa with an approach for AC Milan forward Rafael Leão, who is expected to leave the Italian club in this window.
Then on Tuesday morning, The Athletic reported that an offer has been made for Crystal Palace wantaway Jean-Philippe Mateta, with the proposal falling “considerably short” of what Palace are looking for.
Mateta, 29, has one year left on his contract, which he recently unsuccessfully attempted to have declared void.
These are fascinating developments on a number of levels.
Starting with Leão, the interesting part is that he has been alluded to in reporting as a potential Watkins replacement, put in the same conversation as Jackson and Mateta. Despite having the size at 6’2”, the 27-year-old is not an orthodox centre-forward, mostly playing as a left-winger for Milan.
It is difficult to see a scenario where Villa are viewing Leão as a viable option to replace Watkins. It would be a projection at best.
Villa were also linked to Mateta back in January, before they ultimately opted for Tammy Abraham instead. There has been talk this summer that Villa would let Abraham go if they received an attractive offer.
Mateta has scored plenty of goals in the Premier League, but he would be an underwhelming Watkins successor. Is there a chance that with both Leão and Mateta, they are exploring replacements for Abraham, with Jackson still the number one target to replace Watkins?
Based on the fact the club were choosing between Abraham and Mateta back in January, it would make sense. Ending the window with both Jackson and Mateta would be a great result for Villa.
On the other hand, signing Leão to replace Abraham could leave the door open for 17-year-old sensation Brian Madjo to be the true backup to someone like Jackson, with Leão able to serve as a left-winger or potentially as a support striker.
For all these theories, it may simply be a case of Villa doing their due diligence on other targets if the Jackson deal ultimately cannot be done.
At this stage it is difficult to know how much headroom they have to work with from a financial standpoint as they work to comply with UEFA’s restrictions. One thing is for sure, it is going to be a busy week at Villa Park as they look to finalise the squad before the transfer window ends.
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