Liverpool are preparing to bid for Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins in quest to upgrade Darwin Nunez, according to reports.
Though the striker recently extended his contract with Villa, Arne Slot is hopeful of landing the Premier League forward who scored 27 goals across all competitions last season.
Watkins helped Villa secure a Champions League spot and was widely lauded as one of the best players of the season.
But now Liverpool are keen to bring him to Anfield, seeing him as an ideal replacement for the underperforming Darwin Nunez, reports The Mirror.
Nunez has faced criticism for his finishing, scoring just 11 goals during the season, as well as missing notable chances throughout.
Now it's thought new Reds head coach Slot has identified Watkins as a key target as the Dutchman looks to strengthen the team's attacking options ahead of the new campaign.
The 28-year-old joined Aston Villa from Brentford for a then club-record fee of £28 million - an amount very much justified given his season.
It’s thought that Villa would expect a significant profit should they decide to move the player on this summer transfer window.
Villa recently rejected Arsenal’s advances for Douglas Luiz and secured coach Unai Emery on a new five-year deal, but there are concerns that this upcoming window will be a real test for them.
Liverpool are in need to bolster their attacking options. In addition to Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz have had a capricious season, while there are question marks over Mohamed Salah’s long-term future amid rumours of a possible move to Saudi Arabia.
Watkins, who is in line to play for England in the upcoming Euro 2024 competition, said after he signed fresh terms at Villa Park in October.
He said "It's definitely been a memorable week for me, one I'll never forget. I'm very grateful. I have a lot of good people around me and there's a lot of good people at the club. I'm so happy that a lot of people have been here on this journey with me."
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