Fenerbahce Linked With €25m Deal For Aston Villa Star: What Should The Midlands Club Do? | OneFootball

Transfer season does strange things to the football press. This week, the prize for the most baffling rumour goes to the Turkish media, who seem to have convinced themselves that Fenerbahce are about to pluck Ollie Watkins away from Villa Park.

Ollie Watkins and the absurd Istanbul transfer link

It started in Istanbul. Outlets like Sabah, later picked up by Sport Witness, ran headers claiming the Super Lig side had made rapid, almost miraculous progress. They even went as far as saying the 30-year-old England international had agreed to personal terms. The numbers being thrown around? A three-year contract worth a cool €9m a year after tax. They weren’t finished there, either.

A valuation that misses the mark entirely

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – JUNE 21: Ollie Watkins #19 of England speaks to the media during an England Press Conference during an England FIFA World Cup 2026 Camp on June 21, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

The report says Fenerbahce want to open talks with Aston Villa using a €25m transfer fee as their starting point. To put it bluntly, that is loose change for a striker of his calibre. Last season, he racked up 16 goals and three assists in 37 Premier League games. He is the engine of Unai Emery’s frontline. His running in the channels completely stretches opposition defences, and he scored a brace against Manchester City. A paltry €25m is practically an insult.

Unsurprisingly, the player’s camp moved quickly to pour cold water on the whole thing. His representatives made it clear that any talk of a move is completely off the table, noting that nothing will even be discussed until after the World Cup anyway.

Villa would be mad to even pick up the phone. Replacing 16 Premier League goals in the current market is an absolute nightmare. It costs astronomical money nowadays, easily double what the Turkish club are reportedly offering, and even then, there are no guarantees. If Olabe and the Villa hierarchy want to keep pushing for European spots, you don’t sell your main goalscorer for a cut-price fee. You build around him.