Alan Hutton tips Aston Villa to sign 'well-known' star following injury scare to £56m-rated key man

Alan Hutton has backed Aston Villa to recruit a strong new attacking option in the summer to support star striker Ollie Watkins, especially if they qualify for Champions League football.

Despite their latest frustrating 3-3 draw against Brentford, Unai Emery’s side are still in with a strong chance of a top four finish but they must be wary of the threat Tottenham Hotspur pose. Villa are currently fourth in the table with 60 points but Spurs lurk three points behind with two games in-hand.

As we enter the final weeks of the 2023/24 season, we can start to look back at the strong run Villa have been on. Ollie Watkins has undoubtedly been one of the team’s most integral players this term and has contributed 18 goals and 10 assists in 31 appearances.

During their recent clash against Wolves, Watkins was forced off at half-time with hamstring discomfort and was advised to miss the following clash against Manchester City.

His absence caused some concern among fans but fortunately Watkins was ruled fit to feature against Brentford and he scored a brace to mark the perfect comeback. There are still conversations being had over what Villa will do if their star goalscorer is ruled out again, though.

Hutton has addressed the situation and believes his former side need to splash the cash on a deputy or partner for Watkins to support him but to also soften the blow if the £56 million-rated star picks up another injury in the future.

“It’s probably the one thing they don’t have is a real option who can come in and take his place up front if he is injured. You’ve got people who can come in and lighten the load here and there but he’s your number one go-to guy,” Hutton told Villa News.

“It’s something that they’ll definitely look at in the off-season. If they do make the top four, I’d imagine they’ll bring somebody in, a well-known striker. Not to take Ollie Watkins’ place, it’s to either play with him and back him up or when he needs a rest he comes in. I think they definitely need that option.”