It would take a hefty sum to get Ollie Watkins out of Aston Villa.
That is the view of transfer journalist Neil Moxley, who believes the Villains could realistically demand in excess of £75 million for the in-form Englishman.
Watkins, 27, has been in excellent form and has started this season emphatically. Having already scored five Premier League goals from his first nine appearances, it is clear the Villains’ number 11 is on course to have potentially his best-ever season.
And although the England international recently agreed to extend his contract until 2028, speculation he could be wanted by a top Premier League club in the near future has yet to completely die down.
Watkins has been continually linked with a move to Arsenal in the past, but Moxley believes it would take something special for the Gunners, and any other club side, to lure him away from Villa Park.
“He is an extremely good and useful person to have spearheading your attack,” he told GiveMeSport.
“I was looking at his record and, in 130 appearances for Villa, he has over 50 goals now.
“He has a strike rate of 0.4, so that’s two every five games and four every 10. The top and bottom of it is he is guaranteeing you between 15 and 18 goals a season in the Premier League.
“How much do those strikers command these days, particularly at Watkins’ sort of age? He is 27, so if somebody was going to come along right this very minute and try to offer a fee to entice Ollie Watkins out of Villa Park, I think you’re going to be talking £75million-plus, if not a bit more because Villa would want to be able to source a replacement.”
During his time with Aston Villa, Watkins, who was signed from Brentford in 2020, has scored 51 goals and provided 18 assists in 130 games in all competitions.