Aston Villa have seen a £35m bid accepted to sign full-back Watkins

Aston Villa’s victory in the Europa League has brought a new sense of anticipation to the fans, as more trophies are needed in the West Midlands.

Unai Emery has turned the club into the best outfit in the Premier League, as evidenced by their finish in the top seven in England.

Europe’s victory over Freiburg cemented the Spaniard’s place in the club’s history books, but he too will want to take the Villans to the next level and fight for more silverware.

He will lead the team to the UEFA Super Cup final against PSG in early August, and the clash will provide a great opportunity to showcase their quality against Europe’s best outfit.

However, if Emery is to provide his fans with more memories in the coming months, he will likely need reinforcements from the management to add more quality to his senior ranks.

Aston Villa could have a £35m bid accepted for the attacking star

Since last week’s European triumph in Istanbul, Villa have been linked with a number of top-class talents ahead of next summer’s transfer window.

Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara has been mentioned as another possible inclusion, and the player is open to a move to the West Midlands this window.

A £35m bid has been placed on his signing, leading to reports that he has already been offered the Brazilian’s services ahead of the summer.

Sara isn’t the only player to appear on their shortlist in recent days, with AS Roma midfielder Matias Soule another player currently being watched by officials.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness, the player is open to the Premier League, and Villa is just one club that is willing to sign a deal.

The report also claims that the Italian outfit need to raise funds to avoid any financial problems, which could push the Argentine star closer to the exit door this summer.

A fee of around £35m has been charged for a move ahead of the next window, but it remains to be seen how much Emery’s side are willing to fork out to make it work.

Why Soule would be a good fit for Watkins at Aston Villa

Earlier in the 2025/26 campaign, Aston Villa fans began to question the future of Ollie Watkins after enduring an unusual goal drought.

The 30-year-old scored just once in his first 18 games of the campaign, but the England international managed to silence many doubters at the end of the period.

A run of 12 goals in his final 16 games of the season allowed the striker to finish the campaign with 21 goals – more than any player in Emery’s senior ranks.

Having undoubtedly cemented his place as the starting number nine at Villa Park, the real focus is now on the incoming players to help Watkins reach the next level.

A summer move for Soule could give the forward more ammunition in front of goal and give him a good chance to improve his goal tally in 2026/27.

The Argentine’s statistics from his latest season in Serie A highlight his quality in attacking areas – many of which would undoubtedly benefit Watkins in any potential transfer.

Soule has managed to create 1.9 chances out of 90 in Italy’s top flight this season, putting him in the top 20% of all attackers in Europe.

Most of his chances have come from his excellent crossing ability – as evidenced by his 30% success rate, which puts him above 85% of the other top players in the division.

There is no doubt that these statistics will be music to the ears of the England player, who has managed to score 25% of goals this season with headers.

Soule’s ability to drive the ball into attacking areas has also caught the eye in recent months – after which he completed an impressive 1.5 dribbles per 90.

All of his attacking stats certainly make for a good read, as the 23-year-old also has the ability to strike – as seen in his seven goals in all competitions in 2025/26.

The £35m asking price for his signing could be a bargain for Villa this summer, as the youngster has the chance to take the next step in his career at Villa Park.

If he can form a partnership with Watkins, the pair could help push the club to the next level and fulfill the demands of the fans and secure more silverware.