‘Destroyed them’: Chelsea now want to sign striker who Gary Neville said took apart Newcastle

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Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins stunned Gary Neville last season with his display against Newcastle United.

It’s the sort of reaction that should intrigue Chelsea fans after Ollie Watkins was linked with a potential move to Stamford Bridge.

Well-respected journalist Simon Phillips claimed on his Substack that Watkins has emerged this week as a possible transfer target for Chelsea during the summer window. It is understood that it won’t be easy to convince Villa to sell their 27-year-old striker, but he’s now on the Blues radar ahead of the new season.

Some Chelsea fans may instinctively turn their nose up at a target like Watkins, who’s spent a lot of his football career in England’s lower league learning his craft.

However, the English centre-forward, who’s got seven international caps for his country, is definitely someone on the rise.

He scored 16 goals across all competitions last season in Villa colours, including 15 in the Premier League.

So, perhaps Chelsea fans should be a little more excited by speculation they want to sign the quick attacker.

We think it’s worth looking back at analysis on Watkins from Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, who was blown away by a performance from him last season.

The Chelsea target scored two goals and assisted another in a shock 3-0 home win against Newcastle United in the Premier League back in April.

Neville couldn’t believe the way the Villa frontman ripped to shreds Newcastle’s backline, who finished last season with the joint-best record for least goals conceded.

“Ollie Watkins, obviously I know he’s a good player, but it has really surprised me, the level he got to,” he said on the Gary Neville podcast.

“Newcastle are a pretty mean defence, the meanest defence in the league and I thought he absolutely killed them – I thought he destroyed them and could have had more.”