Sheffield United: The lowdown on Blades' £20m-rated target Ollie Watkins - including key strengths, Wilfried Zaha comparison and more

Sheffield United look set to reignite their interest in Brentford forward Ollie Watkins in the January transfer window, as Chris Wilder seeks to add another goal-scoring threat to his high-flying side.
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We caught up with Lyall Thomas of Sky Sports News and West London Sport, who gave us some insider knowledge on the highly-rated 23-year-old...

How much do you think Brentford would accept for Watkins in January, and would they even consider a sale at this stage of the season?

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"Brentford want at least £20m for Ollie Watkins (and Said Benrahma for that matter). That's the valuation the club have set for both players, whom they believe to be among the best in the Championship.

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

"Brentford's model is to buy affordably from the lower divisions, develop them, and sell them on - so they are always open to selling if their valuations are met. The club have shown in the past that they will stand firm on those valuations too."

Is he ready for the challenge of Premier League football?

"I think Watkins could do with finishing another season in the Championship, personally. He has begun to consistently perform to a high level but is still young and needs to continue this for his development.

"That could be stunted if he were to join a Premier League and find minutes in short supply, even just in the short-term."

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What would you say are his greatest strengths and weaknesses of the player?

"Beating players with the ball, picking up intelligent attacking positions on and off it, and scoring goals. His weaknesses are more in the defensive side; the less glamorous parts of the game which he himself has confessed have needed some work."

Is there another player, past or present, you would compare him to?

"With a degree of caution and measure, of course, you could liken him to a young Wilf Zaha - and that's one reason why Crystal Palace have also been interested in signing him, as a potential Zaha replacement."

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Does he offer a different threat to the Blades' current strikers? Can he bring anything to the table that they don't?

"I am by no means an expert on Sheffield United's attacking players, but I think Watkins would bring something different to the likes of Lys Mousset, Billy Sharp or Oli McBurnie from what I do know of them.

"All three are more typical No.9s than Watkins, and I think he would be better suited to compliment one of them in a front-two or off either side, rather than compete with them."