Aston Villa and Unai Emery are reportedly eyeing a new centre-forward signing in the upcoming summer transfer window to alleviate the “pressure” on Ollie Watkins, as stated by Alan Hutton.
The England international faced criticism from Troy Deeney after his performance against Manchester United, with the former Watford forward suggesting that Watkins had shown a dip in confidence in front of goal in recent matches.
Although Hutton acknowledges that Watkins’ performance in the attacking third have slightly declined in recent weeks, he anticipates the 28-year-old to rediscover his scoring form, highlighting that all strikers endure dry spells in front of goal.
Hutton told Villa News: “There’s a lot of pressure on Watkins there if we’re being honest. He’s the out-and-out striker for them, you’ve got Duran there but there’s not lots of competition.
“It may be something that the manager looks at in the summer, not to replace him but I think it’s about helping him.”
Watkins has been featured in every one of Villa’s 24 Premier League matches this season. Across all competitions, he has made an impressive 34 appearances, tallying 16 goals and providing 10 assists for his teammates.
Prior to Villa’s loss to Manchester United, the 28-year-old had scored twice in his previous two Premier League matches, suggesting that Deeney’s notion of Watkins losing his scoring touch may be exaggerated.
Nevertheless, it’s evident that Emery has heavily depended on his primary center-forward this season. Following Hutton’s recommendation, it would benefit both Watkins and Villa if the Spanish manager bolstered the forward line in the upcoming summer transfer window.