Frank McAvennie thinks West Ham should have signed Ollie Watkins

Frank McAvennie has suggested that West Ham United should have signed Ollie Watkins from Brentford before the striker joined Aston Villa in the summer transfer window.

The former West Ham striker has been impressed with Watkins, who scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in Villa’s 7-2 victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side at Villa Park in the Premier League this season.

McAvennie believes that the 24-year-old – who can operate as a forward or as an attacking midfielder – is a very good player.

The Sun reported back in March that West Ham wanted to sign Watkins from Brentford in the summer transfer window.

McAvennie told Football Insider: “Villa have made some great signings. I wanted Ollie Watkins at West Ham. He is the striker that they should have gone for but he is at Aston Villa now.

“Villa are a massive club and they do not deserve, like West Ham, to be fighting relegation. They are a big, big team.”

Ollie Watkins Stats

Watkins joined Villa from Brentford in the summer transfer window for a fee reported by BBC Sport to be worth £28 million.

According to WhoScored, the 24-year-old scored 16 goals and provided three assists in 49 Championship matches for Brentford during the 2019-20 campaign.

So far this season, according to WhoScored, the striker has scored three goals and provided one assist in three Premier League matches for Villa, who are rated at 13/10 by Betfair to finish in the top 10.