By 
Ollie Watkins is very much on – and set to have a medical in the next 24 hours.
Words: Regan Foy | @findfoy
________
Ollie Watkins is set to undergo a medical at Aston Villa within the next 24 hours.
Aston Villa have agreed a club record fee for the Brentford forward, who matched the stellar high-scoring levels of Tammy Abraham’s Aston Villa loan last season in the Sky Bet Championship – scoring 26 goals and assisting three.
The fee is believed to be around £28,000,000, eclipsing the £22,000,000 spent on forward Wesley Moraes last season. The deal could rise upwards to around £33,000,000 with add-ons, likely to be based around goals scored and a potential England call-up.
The Brentford forward has previously played under Dean Smith during the Villa manager’s spell at the Bees, and the pair will be looking to re-unite as Aston Villa move towards further solidifying their position in the Premier League.
Watkins will join a strikeforce of Wesley, Samatta and Keinan Davis – who could be loaned out to the Sky Bet Championship to continue his development – whilst links to Bournemouth’s £16,000,000 rated Joshua King seemed to come to fruition last night.
The 24-year-old has been Dean Smith’s top target this summer, and showcases the ambition of the club as they step closer to signing the Sky Bet Championship’s top scorer and stand-out player.
Whilst the fee may seem big to some, Watkins has been attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur this season and alongside room to develop, the centre-forward will bring impressive off-the-ball and link-up play. He’s a forward that ‘keeps the game flowing’.
Two seasons in the Premier League, and two record-breaking signings.
