27-year-old Chelsea target signs new contract at Aston Villa

Ollie Watkins signs new Aston Villa deal handing Chelsea a major transfer setback

Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins has signed a new contract until 2028, ending speculation of a possible move to Chelsea as covered as per football.london. Watkins had emerged as a potential Blues target to address their lack of goals ahead of the 2024 January transfer window.

The 27-year-old has excelled for Villa this season, scoring four times in seven matches while also bagging three assists along the way. An experienced Premier League star, he can be a prolific goalscorer in the right system.

His new long-term deal squashes any hope of Chelsea prying him away amidst their need for attacking reinforcements. Any deal is likely to be very expensive, much more than what we could have negotiated for before his new deal was penned.

Chelsea have struggled in front of goal since the start of this season. Excluding the recent Fulham and Burnley wins, they have struggled to find the net on a regular basis. Manager Mauricio Pochettino is determined to sign a proven striker next January and has seen his side linked to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Brentford’s Ivan Toney.

Watkins’ blistering form could have made him an intriguing option given his Premier League pedigree. But his fresh commitment to Villa ends any potential Chelsea pursuit. It makes little sense for us to break the bank where better options might be available for us elsewhere.

For Pochettino, the focus remains on landing his prime targets Osimhen or Toney over any alternatives like Watkins. With Watkins secured at Villa long-term, Chelsea’s search will now shift elsewhere.

However, losing out on Watkins is no crushing blow for Chelsea with Osimhen and Toney still in their sights. But the striker’s extended deal definitively rules out any Blues interest.

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Having Watkins as a fallback would have been useful leverage in transfer talks. However, Pochettino will have to address the issue sooner or later and it will be interesting to see who we go for.