Race for Callum Wilson Hots up With Villa Wary of Overspending

Initial Offer

It’s been reported that Aston Villa have had their initial bid for Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson rejected, with the offer believed to be £15m with an add-on package that could take it up to £20m.

Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law claims to have been told the Cherries are looking for a £17m fixed fee, but it seems Villa are the only ones to put in a solid bid thus far, making them the current favourites for the Coventry-born striker.

Wilson, an England international last year, is obviously keen to remain in the Premier League, after his 20 goals in his first season at Bournemouth helped win them promotion from the Championship back in the 2014/15 season.

The 28-year-old striker has suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries in both knees between 2015 and 2017, but has since averaged over 30 games-a-season in the past three seasons. Throughout his career on the south coast, he’s averaged roughly a goal every 3.5 games, with the 2018/19 season his best effort with 14 goals in 30 Premier League outings.

As the MOMS podcast declared in an earlier show on Villa’s potential transfer target, Wilson is a player that has impressed when he’s played Villa and the kind of player you don’t want playing against you.

In short, he’d make a useful addition to Villa’s squad of strikers that currently does lack Premier League experience and goals in their ranks.

Use code MOMS10 for 10% off below (exclusions apply)

Aston Villa Away Shirt

Question Marks?

That said, his injury record has put off some sections of the Villa fanbase and the fact he’s only managed double figures once in the Premier League, yet Wilson is one of only five Englishmen to have a direct hand in 40+ goals over the past three PL seasons, along with Sterling, Kane, Vardy and Rashford.

When it comes to a proven Premier League attacking threat, it could be as good as it gets for Villa, in terms of getting someone in before the start of the season, at a reasonable price (i.e. not the originally mooted £20m+).

Callum Competition

Villa still face competition in the wings, with Steve Bruce’s Newcastle, who are also looking to lock down Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser on a free transfer, understood to have an eye on bidding for Wilson. It’s thought they are preparing to offer Matt Ritchie as a make weight in the other direction.

West Ham, Fulham and Tottenham are also meant to be in the mix, although there’s no reports of any of them firming up their interest at this stage.

UPDATE : 6th September – Newcastle have allegedly had a £20m bid accepted by Bournemouth, with the Daily Mail reporting Villa have cooled their interest.

UTV

12 COMMENTS

  1. It’s not panic, it’s frustration at the dithering and lack of action. Odsonne Edouard 45+mil, don’t go there, proven in th SPL but could he do it in the EPL, remember Sinclair even he bagged a hateful for Celtic but how not prolific was he for us in the PL. Even if we were Serious it would be too much of a risk, injury in first game what then. Remember also Benteke brilliant season for us but has not performed anywhere else. Let’s stop faffing about and shell out got the Brentford two that’s what most of the fans want.

  2. What’s the panic? The transfer window has another month to run . Most of the team that kept us up is still intact but never mind Gooners are also in panic mode after getting beat 2-3 by Villa

  3. David yes I would certainly go along with your suggestion but as I see it we are almost out of time just one week to go, I don’t understand what the club are doing or more to the point not doing, this is fast becoming a critical situation and our survival in the PL depends on it.

  4. Remember how successful the (“Release the Weatherfield one” ) campaign was in getting Dedrie Barlow released, let’s start another, (“Release the Brentford two”) you never know.

  5. Pleased that we didn’t pursue Wison when he made it clear that he prefers NUFC they are welcome at that price, however I am becoming more and more concerned that our options are fast diminishing and now it seems that Spurs are considering Watkins, I’m not saying that we will but there’s a chance that we are going to miss the boat why we aren’t just paying the price and getting Watkins and Benrahma signed up is beyond belief, it just seems that we are dragging our feet and if this continues it won’t end well, we were led to believe that we now have a new team of top negotiators but nothing seems to be happening we are rapidly running out of time as well as options
    Have they all gone away on holiday ? Hello is there anyone there.

  6. We are told we have 100mil to spend on 4 class players, so what is the hold up, the way things are going we are going to end with egg on our face, Benrami was 20mil last window, what is he now? The price for Watkins is also getting out of hand, Smith was desperate for those two, last season so why don’t we just pay up and have done with it before they are both snapped up by someone else because we are quibbling about 2mil or so.

    I honestly think transfer fees are ridiculous, are any of them actually worth anything like the going rates today, no, but football is now a big business and only the club’s with big wallets are seeing any sort of success, ok Leicester was an exception.

    We are all in it together, paying inflated prices for average players, paying 40mil + for a top goalscorer from a Scottish club would be a gamble after all, the standard of all but two clubs is not very high, sorry but it’s true, and Wilson doesn’t exactly boast a brilliant scoring record. So let’s go for the Brentford two plus a left back as our two are lightweight and hope that Samatta and Davies can step up and start to take their chances. All season we needed a left back, so we buy a right back, we need a CF so I suppose we will buy another CB, does anyone know what’s going on?

  7. I can’t help feeling that this will be Villa first major mistake in the transfer market since the regime change. £10m was the ceiling on this deal in my opinion.

  8. I can’t see Wilson being the answer given his scoring record, his age, and their valuation, but I do believe we have to take a risk on someone and at the moment Watkins looks the best bet for me, I also think that we need a winger and Benrahma is undoubtedly a good player and personally I think well worth a punt. Can’t understand why we’re baulking at paying the price, I’m sure someone will tell me if I’m wrong but the club were up front in saying that we have 100 m to spend on four players
    We have paid 16 m for Marty cash and if we have to pay 50m for the Brentford two that leaves 34 m so by my reckoning bang on target. We most definitely haven’t got enough as it stands, surely we’ve learnt from last season where we were clearly toothless up front. I just wish we would get on with it the season is fast approaching. And all we are getting is lots of talk.

  9. Wilson has scored 6.8 goals a season for Bournemouth in the prem. He has had 5 seasons to adjust to prem league and failed. What makes anyone think he can now. Get Watkins in. Young and hungry. But he only has half the goals a game Hogan had fir Brentford!!! We seem incapable of getting previous prolific scorers to get get goals for us. Wilson ain’t the answer. I’d rather have Benteke back.

  10. there was a time when a cruciate ligament injury would end a players career but with modern surgery that is not the case & with 3 seasons of goal scoring since the surgery makes him a good possibility , And I suspect fans have failed to notice Vassilevs goals for the U23 & that he could well be a good option up front now that the team has had the experience of a season in the Prem

  11. Why aren’t we trying to offload Hogan in partex? I thought Bournemouth were interested in him.

Comments are closed.