Aston Villa handed huge opportunity to land Ollie Watkins replacement for a bargain transfer fee

Aston Villa could soon be forced into the transfer market for a new striker if Ollie Watkins leaves the club this summer.

Jonathan David has emerged as a potential replacement after Juventus made it clear they are prepared to help facilitate his exit.

The Canada international could now be available for a surprisingly modest fee.

Aston Villa handed boost in Jonathan David pursuit

Villa have previously made contact over a potential move for David and could now be handed an even better opportunity to sign the striker.

According to reports from Italy, Juventus are desperate to move on from the 26-year-old after he fell out of favour under Luciano Spalletti following a disappointing campaign in Turin.

David only joined Juventus on a free transfer, meaning the club can afford to accept a relatively low fee and still register a significant capital gain. His previous €30 million (£26 million) valuation has now reportedly been reduced to as little as €20 million (£17 million), while a loan deal could also be considered.

That could appeal to Villa, who have been monitoring the situation and may soon need to replace Watkins.

Could Jonathan David replace Ollie Watkins at Villa Park?

With Watkins attracting serious interest from Saudi Arabia, Villa need to be prepared for the possibility of losing their all-time leading Premier League goalscorer.

And David would not be a bad replacement at all.

His Juventus spell has been underwhelming to say the least, but his record with Lille tells a very different story, having scored at least 15 league goals in four consecutive seasons, including a 24-goal haul in 2022/23.

He would also represent considerably better value than some of the alternatives Villa have been linked with, including Nicolas Jackson, while offering proven goalscoring pedigree at the highest level.

The Canada international is still only 26 and has the pace, movement and finishing ability to fit Unai Emery's attack.

A move would obviously carry some risk after his difficult season in Italy, but at £17 million or on loan, that risk would be considerably easier to justify. If Watkins does leave, David could give Villa an opportunity to replace him without blowing a huge chunk of their transfer budget.