Ollie Watkins is said to be close to signing a new long-term contract with Aston Villa, despite interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United.
The forward has consistently impressed since making the step up from Brentford in the Championship to Villa in the Premier League in 2020.
Over the past three seasons, Watkins scored 43 goals and made 13 assists in 116 games, with his efforts helping Unai Emery’s side qualify for the Europa Conference League.
He has started this campaign in great form too, with four goals and two assists in nine games across all competitions, and he’ll hope to keep that up on Wednesday night when the Villans host Everton in the Carabao Cup
His performances have certainly caught the eye and as such the 27-year-old has been linked with a move away from Villa Park.
The England international was on United’s radar over the summer and though they ended up signing Rasmus Hojlund, they could still be in the market for a more experienced striker.
Arsenal and Chelsea have recently been linked with Watkins, as both London clubs evaluate their No.9 options.
There is debate over whether or not Gabriel Jesus or Eddie Nketiah are good enough to lead the line for the Gunners, while the Blues have found goals hard to come, with Nicolas Jackson lacking a clinical edge, while Christopher Nkunku is out injured.
However, their hopes of signing Watkins to remedy the situation have now been dashed, with talkSPORT reporting that he is sign a new long-term contract at Villa Park.
His current deal expires in 2025, and as such the club have been looking to tie his future down for some time, starting talks over a new contract at the end of last season.
Amid the fresh interest from rivals, the negotiations are set to ramp up over the coming months and it is hoped that all will be finalised before January.
Watkins is keen to remain at Villa as they continue their upwards trajectory under Emery with the club currently sixth in the table after six games.
Arsenal and Chelsea meanwhile have been linked with several other names in their search for a new forward, most notably Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
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