Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is reportedly keen to build his side around a key player in the West Midlands after details of a big-money deal have now emerged.
Aston Villa under Emery…
This term, Aston Villa have once again catapulted themselves into contention for continental qualification following a strong showing in the Premier League. Emery’s sterling work continues to receive widespread attention as he continues his side’s steep incline from relegation battlers when he came to the club to contenders to secure Champions League qualification.
However, the Spaniard will know there is still a lot of work to be done before the famous anthem can grace the terraces of Villa Park. Nevertheless, pundit Jamie Carragher believes Emery could be poached from elsewhere before too long, given the job he has done turning their fortunes around. Carragher said:
“Aston Villa should cherish Unai Emery while they can. It is a matter of time before an established Champions League club makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Sorry to put a dampener on Villa fans’ upbeat mood, but this is the reality of the sport.”
Whether other clubs will target the 52-year-old is a matter for another day, though the ambition that the Villans’ hierarchy has shown will go a long way toward being able to keep him around. In the summer, the likes of Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans, Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet came in continue to show a forward-thinking nature that can only provide further success looking ahead at Villa Park.
Contract renewals centring around high-profile first-team players such as Ezri Konsa, John McGinn and Tyrone Mings have also helped to build a long-term vision at the club. Now, fresh details have been revealed regarding another important deal that Aston Villa have been able to conduct during this campaign.
Aston Villa's next five fixtures – all competitions
Competition
Opponent
Venue
Europa Conference League
AZ Alkmaar (H)
Villa Park
Premier League
Fulham (H)
Villa Park
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur (A)
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Europa Conference League
Legia Warsaw (H)
Villa Park
Premier League
Bournemouth (A)
Vitality Stadium
Aston Villa’s top earner – Ollie Watkins
According to Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey, Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has now become the top earner at Villa Park after signing a new five-year deal with the club last month. The outlet indicates that the England international is now deemed to be earning £150,000 per week in the West Midlands, which will equate to £37.5 million across the next five seasons. Aston Villa boss Emery is said to be a “huge fan” of the striker and is keen to build his team around Watkins in the coming seasons.
Watkins, who has previously been labelled “outstanding” by former boss Dean Smith, has made a fantastic start to the 2023/24 campaign at the time of writing, notching nine goals and five assists from 16 appearances across all competitions before the Villans’ trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday in the Premier League (Watkins statistics – Transfermarkt).
Clearly regarded as a crucial part of Emery’s tactical framework at Villa Park, Watkins will hope that he can continue to lead the line with distinction for an exciting Aston Villa side that continues to defy expectations this term.
