Who is Ollie Watkins? Strengths and weaknesses of Aston Villa's record signing
So it's taken longer than they would have hoped to get a deal done, having been slashed into favourites to sign the striker immediately after Brentford's Championship play-off final defeat, but Aston Villa have finally confirmed the signing of Ollie Watkins.
The need for attacking reinforcements at the club has been abundantly clear as far back as the turn of the year, when Wesley, who had made a relatively underwhelming start to life in England, picked up a season ending injury. The club were forced into the market in January as a result and the subsequent signing of Ally Samatta has been an undeniable failure.
With just the Tanzanian and youngster Kienan Davis to rely upon to pull the club out of the relegation zone post lockdown, it's remarkable Villa managed to do just that with neither striker registering on the scoresheet in that time.
A new goalscorer was an absolute must, and the club will be delighted to get a player of Watkins pedigree and potential over the line.
Ollie Watkins: Announced. ✅
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 9, 2020
Say hello to our new striker! 🙌#WatkinsAnnounced
On the face of it, a tally of 25 league goals last season, just pipped to the league's Golden Boot by Aleksandar Mitrovic, from 46 matches is impressive. It's even more so when you consider the 24-year-old didn't have spot kick duties to rely upon, with all of his goals coming from open play or indirect set piece situations.
Considering 2019/20 was Watkins' first season leading the line at Brentford, playing off either flank more often than not the campaign previous, it was an exceptional haul from a player that has always viewed himself as a centre-forward. That versatility, however, will be a big asset to a squad that is lacking quality, if not depth, on the right flank in particular.
His development into an all round striker last season is even better emphasised by the variety of goals Watkins scored over the course of the campaign. When factoring in his play-off semi-final goal against Swansea, the Bees hitman scored ten goals with his stronger right foot, as many as seven with his weaker left and a hugely impressive eight with his head. Tallies for all three ranked among the top ten scorers in the league by body part, which is some doing.
Capable of scoring from distance, having done so twice in each of the last three seasons, it's Watkins progression into a clinical box finisher that should really benefit Villa, as it's a trait that they have missed since Tammy Abraham returned to Chelsea. Abraham also scored 26 goals in his season at Villa Park, so signing a player that has matched that feat is a big boost and shouldn't be overlooked when considering an admittedly lofty price.
With an initial fee of £28m potentially rising to £33m, Watkins is Villa's club record signing, but had Villa spent that to secure Abraham's services upon promotion, not many would have questioned the deal. Watkins is a more complete footballer than Abraham in the sense that he can and has played in other positions, and offers Dean Smith the opportunity to rotate his typical front three. He's quick, strong and extremely hard working, remarkably having started all 49 games of Brentford's gruelling league and play-off campaign.
There are very few obvious weaknesses to Watkins, game though his delivery into the box isn't particularly strong if and when he is asked to play wide. Moreover, while he likes to play on the shoulder of the last defender and utilise his speed, the fact that the 24-year-old was leading the line for the first time in the Championship was perhaps evidenced by the fact that he was caught offside more than any other player.
Nevertheless, Villa fans have reason to be excited at the acquistion of a third striker in a little over a year. Watkins' statistics from the last campaign certainly suggest he should be able to make a more immediate impression than the previous two...
