Chelsea want to sign England's Euro 2024 hero

Tom Weber

Updated: 12 Jul 2024 14:57 BST
3 min read

Enzo Maresca, Gareth Southgate, England — © IMAGO

Chelsea are interested in Ollie Watkins, according to a report.

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The Aston Villa striker has added another memorable moment to what had already been a fairytale season. On Wednesday, Watkins came off the bench for England to score the 91st-minute winner against the Netherlands that ultimately sent the Three Lions to the final of Euro 2024.

It has been a rollercoaster 12 months for the 28-year-old, who helped Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League for the first time in the competition's modern history by putting up Player of the Season-esque numbers.

STATS

Ollie Watkins

F (C)

Aston Villa

Ollie Watkins

F (C)

Aston Villa

53

Games
27

Goals
13

Assists

In 53 games across all competitions, the striker netted a whopping 27 times and also recorded 13 assists. This has, naturally, made him an attractive player and his brilliantly taken goal against the Dutch will have only added to his allure.

Indeed, according to Chelsea journalist Si Phillips, the Blues are now interested in signing the Villa sharpshooter.

Chelsea want Watkins

Phillips claims, via GIVEMESPORT, that Chelsea have been keeping an eye on Watkins with a view to potentially attempting an ambitious swoop. Aston Villa don't want to lose him but have drawn up a list of potential replacements on which England teammate Ivan Toney features prominently.

It is thought that any fee Villa would realistically demand for the 28-year-old would likely be deemed excessive by Chelsea, who have thus far kept a lid on their spending compared to previous summer windows since the Todd Boehly takeover.

Chelsea are looking to be smarter in the market, though they acknowledge that a reliable striker will cost a pretty penny. Despite having already signed Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu, they could yet move for a more proven or high-profile striker after having ended their pursuit of Atletico Madrid wonderkid Samu Omorodion.