Aston Villa are readying an opening bid for Brentford striker Ollie Watkins.

The Daily Mail says Villa are poised to make an opening bid for Watkins in the coming days.

Watkins is Villa's top target in attack and is valued at £25million by the Championship club after scoring 26 goals in all competitions last season.

Villa's initial attempt of around £18m is unlikely to match Brentford's asking price but it is thought Watkins would be keen to work again with Dean Smith, who was Bees boss when Watkins moved to Griffin Park from Exeter in 2017.

Villa's billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens will back Smith again in the market after committing more than £140million to transfers in the 2019-20 campaign, when Villa avoided relegation on the final day of the season with a 1-1 draw at West Ham.