The former Brentford man has only recently signed a new contract at Villa Park, committing his future to Unai Emery’s side until the summer of 2028.
Watkins’ contract was renewed following an amazing start to the season for the 27-year-old, who has seven goals and four assists in 13 games this season.
Watkins has now scored two hat-tricks this season, one against Hibernian in the Europa Conference League qualifiers and another against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.
The striker is the first Villa player to record multiple hat tricks in a single season for the Lions since Andy Gray in the 1976-77 season, and he also scored the winning goal for England in a 1-0 friendly victory against Australia last week.
Despite signing on the dotted line earlier this month, Watkins’ devotion to Villa could be put to the test in 2024, as both Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be interested in him.
However, according to Rai – via Sempremilan – Milan have also been made aware of Watkins’ Premier League performances, so the London duo may face heavy competition for his signature.
According to Michele Fratini, an intermediary and scout in Italy, the Rossoneri are keeping a careful eye on the Englishman’s performances as they consider their attacking options.
Following the retirement of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Stefano Pioli’s side acquired Noah Okafor and Luka Jovic from Red Bull Salzburg and Fiorentina, respectively, to their attacking ranks in the summer.
However, Olivier Giroud, 37, has started the 2023-24 season as Pioli’s first-choice center-forward, and he has continued to flourish in Serie A with four goals and three assists in his first seven top-flight games of the new season.
Giroud’s contract was extended for another year in April, but the former Arsenal and Chelsea man is set to become a free agency at the end of the current season, and it’s uncertain whether he’ll be given another.
While attending a Snai event earlier this month, the veteran marksman was asked about his contract situation, and while he replied that he is “happy” at San Siro, he is not considering his future beyond the end of the current term.
“I’m not thinking about it right now; I’m focused on doing well for Milan this year.” “I’m always happy to be here, I’ve been since day one,” Giroud is quoted as saying by Football Italia.
Furthermore, Jovic only signed a one-year contract with Milan when he arrived in the summer, and the former Real Madrid star is yet to make an impact for the Rossoneri, having played only 128 minutes of Serie A football this season.
Milan return to Serie A action on Sunday evening against Juventus, where Pioli’s team will aim to maintain or improve their two-point lead over Inter Milan at the top of the league.
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