Villa Chase Abraham Return to Bolster Watkins Attack

Aston Villa are plotting a move for Tammy Abraham as they seek to strengthen their striking options alongside Ollie Watkins, according to reports.

The Villans have bounced back impressively from a sluggish opening to the campaign, stringing together an 11-game winning run across all competitions and remaining unbeaten in their last three matches following their late-December defeat to Arsenal.

Watkins himself has come alive in recent weeks after a concerning dip in form. The England forward, who has never dipped below double figures in a Premier League season across his five campaigns, managed just one goal in his opening 13 league matches this term. However, he's since struck twice in game 14 and accumulated six goals and an assist across his last seven outings.

Villa's reluctance to pursue alternative attacking options earlier in the window appears rooted in the absence of convincing alternatives, with Donyell Malen and Evann Guessand failing to establish themselves as regular contributors. Now, though, the club appears ready to add another specialist frontman to the mix.

According to reports, Villa are eyeing Abraham, currently on loan at Besiktas, as a means of providing both support and competition for Watkins. The 28-year-old spent time at the club during the 2018/19 Championship campaign, when he was prolific in the league with 25 goals and added another in the playoff triumph.

Abraham departed English football in 2021 for Roma before spells at AC Milan and his current Turkish loan. His record at Besiktas stands at 12 goals from 24 appearances—a marked improvement on his final season with Milan, where he managed just 10 goals across all competitions, with only three coming in Serie A.

A permanent switch to Besiktas worth £11.2million awaits Abraham in the summer should certain conditions materialise, which could complicate Villa's pursuit, though the Birmingham side continue to explore the possibility.

Villa's transfer ambitions extend beyond attack. The club remain interested in Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher, whilst they're also weighing up their options regarding Harvey Elliott, who remains on loan but has been starved of minutes to prevent him reaching the 10-game threshold that would trigger a mandatory £35million purchase.