{"id":292398,"date":"2023-10-04T16:26:13","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T16:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=292398"},"modified":"2023-10-04T16:26:13","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T16:26:13","slug":"konsa-urges-aston-villa-to-tie-watkins-down-to-new-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/soccer\/konsa-urges-aston-villa-to-tie-watkins-down-to-new-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Konsa urges Aston Villa to tie Watkins down to new deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ezri Konsa has called on Aston Villa to seal a new contract with team-mate Ollie Watkins as the pair eye an England call-up on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Watkins has scored four goals in his last two Premier League games and has been discussing a new deal since last spring. His current arrangement runs out at the end of next season and Villa will be keen to tie the 27-year-old down before he heads into the final 12 months of his deal.<\/p>\n
\u2018For the club it\u2019s really important,\u2019 said Konsa. \u2018He scores us goals and wins us games. To have him extend his contract would be really important for us.<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019ve known him for quite some time. We played together at Brentford, so I knew how good he was and when we signed him three years ago I was delighted. Hopefully he can continue this form.\u2019<\/p>\n
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Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins are both in consideration for Gareth Southgate’s squad for October internationals<\/p>\n
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Watkins has scored 7 goals in 11 games so far this season, his best start in a Villa shirt<\/p>\n
Both players have been in strong form and will be hoping Gareth Southgate\u2019s presence at Villa Park last Saturday will work in their favour.<\/p>\n
Southgate was in the stands to watch one of his former clubs take on Brighton, when Watkins scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win.<\/p>\n
Before they can think of international duty, though, Konsa and Watkins must help Villa get their Europa Conference League campaign back on track against Zrinjski Mostar on Thursday. Villa lost their opening group game, at Legia Warsaw last month.<\/p>\n
Konsa added: \u2018Playing Thursday and again on Sunday is difficult. We are not used to it. I last did it when I was playing in the Championship and it is about getting the recovery right. Some of us haven\u2019t done this before but we have good squad depth and the manager will make changes if he needs to.\u2019<\/p>\n
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Aston Villa have got off to a strong start in the Premier League, the Claret and Blues find themselves in fifth place at the time of writing\u00a0<\/p>\n
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