Ollie Watkins is not a name you often hear linked with a move to the Turkish Super Lig. Yet here we are, with GoalZaza learning that Fenerbahce are ke...
Ollie Watkins is not a name you often hear linked with a move to the Turkish Super Lig. Yet here we are, with GoalZaza learning that Fenerbahce are keeping a very close eye on the Aston Villa frontman. The report suggests the Istanbul giants see the 30 year old as the kind of statement signing that could shift the balance of power in their league. But let's not get carried away just yet.Any serious movement on this front is expected to be parked until after England's 2026 World Cup campaign. That makes perfect sense when you think about it. Watkins will be desperate to lead the line for the Three Lions in that tournament, and a pre tournament transfer saga is the last thing he would want. But for Fenerbahce, timing is everything. They are clearly willing to wait, which tells you how highly they rate his clinical finishing and his ability to stretch a low block.What does this mean for Aston Villa Unai Emery has built his attacking system around Watkins' movement and pressing. Losing him would force a significant tactical rethink, especially with Champions League football now a realistic expectation at Villa Park. The question is whether the player himself fancies a new challenge in a league that often feels like a retirement home for fading stars, but also offers European football and a fanatic atmosphere.Watkins is 30, not 34. He still has plenty of miles left in those legs. If Fenerbahce can convince him that their project is serious and that he would be the focal point of their attack, this could become one of the most intriguing moves of the summer window. It is a gamble, no doubt. But big clubs take big gambles. Will Aston Villa blink first Or will they slap a price tag that even the most determined Turkish suitor cannot reach Squeaky bum time for the Villa boardroom, you suspect.
