England attacker Ollie Watkins has agreed to a new long-term contract with Aston Villa, the club confirmed.
The new contract will keep him at Villa Park until 2028, capping off a remarkable week for the player, who scored a fantastic hat-trick against Brighton last Saturday and was called up by his national side on Thursday.
Two weeks ago, it was believed that Watkins was close to signing new terms, with Unai Emery eager to secure his talisman amid interest from Premier League opponents.Manchester United expressed interest in the 27-year-old throughout the summer, and Arsenal and Chelsea were lately linked with the prolific player.
Watkins joined Villa from Brentford in 2020 for a then-club record £28 million, and he has since scored 50 goals and provided 16 assists in 128 appearances.
His game has reached new heights under Emery, who has converted the club from relegation candidates to European challengers in less than a year.
‘Ollie Watkins is always willing to work and give the squad what they require,’ the manager remarked in his news conference on Friday, ahead of the Villans’ match against Wolves.
Individually, when he is doing his job, scoring goals, and defensively, the first press is incredibly essential for us. When he’s not scoring or being amazing, he’s doing his job.
‘For me and his teammates, it’s always a pleasant experience. He is always highly demanding about learning and improving. He’s doing that here.
I’ve worked with him for about a year. The first day he worked with us and when I arrived, it was the same as today when I met him on the training ground.’
