Why Fulham must secure the transfer of Ollie Watkins
According to Sky Sports, Premier League returnees Fulham have entered the race to sign Ollie Watkins from EFL Championship club Brentford this summer.
The 24-year-old is a target for a host of top-flight clubs including Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion. And now, Fulham, too, have thrown their hat in the ring to land the striker this summer. (h/t Sky Sports)
Profile
Born in Torbay, Watkins started out at the academy of Exeter City and made his senior debut in 2013, in an EFL Trophy clash. After a short loan stint at Weston Super Mare in 2015, he became a regular at Exeter and went on to rack up 78 appearances, in which he scored 26 goals and created 17 more. (h/t Transfermarkt)
In 2017, Watkins made the switch to Brentford and has grown into a key player for the Bees over the years. Till date, the 24-year-old has found the back of the net on 49 occasions in 143 appearances for the club, while also registering 17 assists. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Watkins enjoyed a brilliant 2019/20 campaign, which has seen him emerge as a target for a host of clubs, including Fulham. (h/t Sky Sports)
Fulham need to beef up their attack
Fulham are back in the Premier League, after beating Brentford in the EFL Championship playoff finals. And, having returned to the top-flight, manager Scott Parker must bolster his squad if his team are to perform well in the coming seasons.
The centre-forward slot is one where Fulham lack quality depth at the moment. Last season, they rode on the brilliant form of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who banged in 26 goals in the Championship. However, the next best scorer was midfielder Tom Cairney, with eight strikes to his name. (h/t Transfermarkt)
While Bobby Reid and Aboubakar Kamara can play as centre-forwards, neither are naturals in the position. Thus, adding another proper striker who can add more firepower to their attack should be a priority for the Cottagers.
Having said that, Watkins would be an excellent choice to lead their attack. The 24-year-old is coming on the back of an exceptional season in which he plundered 26 goals in 50 matches across all competitions, while setting up three more. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Signing him would bolster the Fulham attack a great deal, while also ensuring they have quality depth behind first-choice striker Mitrovic. And, if he is able to carry forward the same form from last season, he would prove to be a masterstroke addition.
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Verdict
Fulham lack options in the centre-forward slot beyond Aleksandar Mitrovic and need to rectify that heading into the 2020/21 season. Signing Watkins, to that end, would prove to be a coup. The 24-year-old is coming on the back of his best season and would certainly add more goals to the side.
