Why Ollie Watkins is about to make a very smart transfer decision

With the 27-year-old Aston Villa striker at a crossroads in his career, Ollie Watkins is ready to make a wise career decision.

Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked with a move for the former Brentford striker, and at this point in his career, this could be his only chance to play for one of the traditional ‘big six’ clubs.
Villa manager Unai Emery, on the other hand, believes Watkins, who has previously been tight-lipped about the situation, will sign a new contract with the club.

“We can be optimistic about the prospect of him extending his contract.” I’m completely confident since I believe he is happy and progressing here. He’s embarking on a new adventure with us.” With the 27-year-old Aston Villa striker at a crossroads in his career, Ollie Watkins is ready to make a wise career decision.

Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked with a move for the former Brentford striker, and at this point in his career, this could be his only chance to play for one of the traditional ‘big six’ clubs.
Villa manager Unai Emery, on the other hand, believes Watkins, who has previously been tight-lipped about the situation, will sign a new contract with the club.

“We can be optimistic about the prospect of him extending his contract.” I’m completely confident since I believe he is happy and progressing here. He’s embarking on a new adventure with us.”

Watkins’ big transfer call

Out of contract in 2025, Watkins could have waited until the summer to see what sort of offers might have arrived. With just a year left on his contract, he would have been in a strong position to force Villa into a transfer if that was the route he chose.

But it appears that he has instead elected to commit the remainder of his peak years to Aston Villa – a smart move according to data analytics experts SciSports.

Villa is the perfect club for Watkins, with Emery’s men scoring an impressive 89 on their Club Fit matrix, which takes into account numerous factors including development, playing time, playing style and formation to decide a player’s optimal destination.

The Premier League side are streaks ahead of their rivals in terms of where’s best for Watkins. Liverpool are the only club that comes relatively close, posting a score of 82, while Newcastle come third on 78. In both cases, playing time and formation are problematic.

Arsenal do offer a decent option coming in fourth, despite similar concerns regarding game time and system, but Chelsea rank a miserable 30th.

Watkins, it appears, is making the right decision by staying at Aston Villa.