Crystal Palace have reportedly wanted to bring Brentford’s Championship talisman Ollie Watkins to the Premier League for some time now.
Long-term Crystal Palace target Ollie Watkins continues to star for Brentford with Eagles legend Kevin Phillips praising a ‘clinical finisher’ who is going from strength to strength in the Championship, speaking to Quest (8 February, 9pm).
The jet-heeled attacker has been transformed from a sprightly winger into a fearsome centre-forward in recent months and there is no prize for guessing who the hero was once again as The Bees sealed a dramatic 3-2 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon.
Watkins fired home a second-half winner, his 20th in 30 league games this season, moving level with Fulham talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic in the race for the Golden Boot.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, can only dream of possessing a striker in this kind of form.
The Eagles have been firm admirers of Watkins for some time now and were keen to lure the former Exeter City wonderkid to Selhurst Park in January, only to be priced-out by Brentford’s £20 million valuation (West London Sport).
But Crystal Palace hero Phillips would certainly give Watkins his seal of approval if a move across the capital belatedly comes to fruition in the summer.
“When a goalscorer leaves, you want someone to step up,” said Phillips, hailing the way the 24-year-old has succeeded Neal Maupay as Brentford’s talisman.
“Watkins is playing through the middle these days, he’s getting in the right positions and it shows. 20 goals; he’s a clinical finisher.”
Any hopes Crystal Palace have of finally luring Watkins to Selhurst Park surely rest on whether or not Brentford are playing top flight football for the first time since 1946/17 next season. If Thomas Frank’s side fall short, they may just struggle to hang onto a player who looks every inch a Premier League forward right now.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
