As an Aston Villa fan, I’ve always had a soft spot for Ollie Watkins. Since he joined us from Brentford, he’s been a revelation—our talisman up top, a tireless worker, and a striker who’s consistently delivered when it matters most. Last season’s 19 Premier League goals and many assists were nothing short of phenomenal, earning him the Playmaker of the Season award and cementing his status as one of the league’s elite forwards. But this season? Something feels off for me, and I can’t quite put my finger on why.
From my point of view, Ollie just doesn’t seem himself. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still chipped in with 13 goals in the Premier League and remains a key part of Unai Emery’s system, but I get a sense that something is off. As a Villa fan, it’s frustrating to watch this from time to time, because I know what he’s capable of. He’s the best striker we’ve had since Christian Benteke a decade ago, and his work rate is still good, but I feel he’s missing something.
Which brings me to that failed Arsenal move in January. Arsenal, Ollie’s Watkins boyhood club, came sniffing around with a £40m bid right before the transfer window closed. Villa rejected it outright, and understandably so; losing him mid-season, especially after Jhon Duran’s big-money move to Al-Nassr, would’ve left us short up front. But as a fan, I can’t help but wonder if that failed move has had him thinking, what if?
As a Villa fan, I just want to see that spark in him again. The Ollie Watkins who terrorised the Premier League last season, who outworked every defender in the league, who carried us into the Champions League. Whether it’s the Arsenal saga, a niggling injury, or just a few rough patches, I’m backing him (hopefully) to find his groove. For now, though, he’s still got my support, and a bit of my concern, and we’re better with him than without him.
But with all his success that he has gained here at the Villa, I hope that he doesn’t think he’s now too good for us, but maybe that’s a bit of a stretch on my part. UTV
No he hasn’t lost his zest for Aston Villa he has just lost his zest full stop.
£40 m I would let him go there are plenty better out there for that money
Asensio is miles better let’s keep him
Have you lost your zest for Aston Villa?!
@Glenn, ive had similar thoughts and as a huge Ollie fan I genuinely want the best for Villa and for Ollie himself.
My hunch is that he is looking to join Arsenal and his head was turned in January although he knew he would never be going with Duran gone and two days until the close of the window.
While I hope he would stay with us until the end of his career, I do think he has aspirations to join his boyhood club and right now, a slightly better team than us.
If that’s the case, I do have faith that Emery and Monchi would have had those conversations with the player, owners etc, they therefore know what Ollie wants, and will be finding an “even better” replacement. UTV
I believe that Ollie hasn’t lost his zest for Villa and he’s too professional to allow outside influences to impact his performances, all players go through dips in their performance levels, he’ll be back and once he gets used to playing with the new boys and they get used to his movements we will see an upturn in his levels.
Fingers crossed
