Aston Villa have reached an agreement to sign Ollie Watkins from Brentford this summer, according to reports from The Athletic.

Gregg Evans of The Athletic has tweeted that the move is ‘almost there’, and that Villa’s long pursuit of Watkins is close.

It's almost there…#AVFC long pursuit of Ollie Watkins is close. £28m deal.

— Gregg Evans (@greggevans40) September 8, 2020

Phil McNulty of BBC Sports has also relayed the news on Twitter. He said that the fee could rise to £33m with add-ons included.

Aston Villa close to deal for Brentford striker Ollie Watkins. Fee is an initial £28m which could rise to £33m with add-ons.

— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) September 8, 2020

According to reports from The Telegraph, Watkins will undergo his medical at Villa in the next 24 hours.

Villa suffered a huge blow earlier this week after Newcastle United secured the signing of Callum Wilson, who was targeted by Dean Smith.

They have moved quickly to secure the signing of Watkins. The Athletic claims he was Smith’s top target this summer and Villa didn’t hesitate to pay a premium fee to secure his services.

Watkins is unproven at this level but he is a player with tremendous potential. He is a versatile player who can operate as a striker or on the wings. Last season Watkins scored 26 goals for Brentford.

The Athletic also claim that Villa have lodged a second bid for Arsenal goalkeeper Emi Martinez. The offer is closer to the £20 million asking price set by the Gunners.