Why Crystal Palace should revive their interest in Ollie Watkins
According to Evening Standard, Brentford forward Ollie Watkins has been a long-term target for Crystal Palace. However, a move in January didn’t materialize and the 24-year-old stayed put at Griffin Park.
Having come through the youth ranks at Exeter City, Watkins’ major breakthrough came in the 2015/16 season. He made 78 appearances for the Grecians, scoring 26 goals before joining Championship side Brentford in the summer of 2017.
Since then, he has been a regular member of the squad and has been impressive in the last three campaigns. He is one of the best forwards in the second-tier and has also attracted a lot of attention in the last two years. Given his recent successful form, Crystal Palace should reignite their interest in the English striker.
Watkins could be a brilliant addition to the Crystal Palace attack
Roy Hodgson must focus on bolstering the centre-forward position. At the moment, he has just three strikers available at his disposal. Jordan Ayew is the main striker, who has scored just 9 goals in the league so far.
The other two strikers, Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham, have managed to score just a goal each. And this has led to the team scoring just 28 goals so far, which is the second-lowest in the Premier League. Thus, they need to reignite their interest in Brentford’s Watkins.
The 24-year-old has time and again proved his worth in the Championship. In his final season with Exeter City, he managed to score 13 goals in the 45 league games. He backed it up with 10 goals in each of the last two campaigns with the Bees.
However, he has taken his game to the next level since adapting to the centre-forward role under Thomas Franks this season. He has already racked up 23 goals in 40 league games, making him the joint-highest scorer in the second tier.
Thus, Watkins could be a valuable addition to Hodgson’s squad if he is able to replicate the same good form. He has gone from strength to strength in the last two years. Thus, they should reignite their interest in the Englishman and attempt a move for him at the earliest.
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Verdict
Having proved himself in the Championship, Watkins looks ready to take a huge stride into the Premier League. And given the Eagles’ lack of quality up front, making an attempt to land the former Exeter City forward would be a wise decision by the club.
