Aston Villa could have a problem on their hands as one of their star men's agents has spoken to another club over his potential departure, according to reports.
What's the latest news involving Aston Villa?
In a rather strange development, Aston Villa players have reportedly complained about their wet-look shirts and claim that they are weighing them down on the pitch, according to Telegraph Sport. The Villans' shirts for 2023/24 are designed by sportswear manufacturers Castore, who they are now believed to be working to solve the issue.
Aston Villa are two years into a long-term deal with Castore; however, it is unclear if the shirt debacle will impact their agreement with the firm. One source close to one Aston Villa player claimed: "The players are having to play in soaking wet T-shirts and it is a problem that needs to be solved. It cannot go on all season. The players look like they’ve jumped in a swimming pool after about ten minutes.”
Journalist Dean Jones meanwhile has indicated to GIVEMESPORT that he has been impressed by the way that summer signing Nicolo Zaniolo has settled into life at Villa Park and believes that he has shown more for the club than Philippe Coutinho during his time at Aston Villa.
Jones stated: "Zaniolo is a lovely player and he's definitely showing more than Coutinho usually did in a Villa shirt from what we've seen so far. The good thing with Zaniolo, though, is he's got that inner drive, which I'm just not sure Coutinho ever had once Steven Gerrard wasn't at the club anymore."
Zaniolo has yet to get off the mark for Aston Villa, though has made six appearances in all competitions for his new club and has impressed with his trickery and invention, as per Transfermarkt.
Who could leave Aston Villa?
According to FootballTransfers, Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar has held direct talks with Ollie Watkins' agent Paolo Vernazza over a potential January move to the Emirates Stadium.
The report states that Chelsea are also keen to strike a deal for the England international; however, Mikel Arteta and Watkins have a 'mutual admiration' for each other, alongside the fact that the former Brentford striker is actually a boyhood Arsenal supporter. Bizarrely, this all comes just days after reports revealed confidence within Villa that Watkins would sign a new long-term contract.
Watkins has been a fantastic servant for Aston Villa over the course of his time in the West Midlands, registering 47 goals and 15 assists in 125 appearances for his current employers at the time of writing, as per Transfermarkt.
This campaign, the 27-year-old, who has previously been labelled "outstanding" by former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith, has averaged around 2.7 shots and 1.7 key passes per match in the Premier League, according to WhoScored.
FBRef show that the Torquay-born striker has also been a key creator for Aston Villa this term, successfully carrying out 19 shot-creating actions in the English top-flight, with five of them directly leading to goals.
Looking ahead, Aston Villa will be desperate to tie Watkins down to a new contract to avoid losing his potency in front of goal and his excellent running power.