Aston Villa have made a new striker to partner Ollie Watkins their main transfer priority, according to Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Five in five

Unai Emery’s side returned to winning ways in the Premier League over the weekend after three defeats on the spin.

Watkins set Villa on their way against Everton from the penalty spot, making it five goals in as many top-flight games. He has netted nine goals in all competitions in 2022/23, and it looks as if Emery and co want more options in the final third heading into the Spaniard’s first full season in charge.

The Latest: Preece’s comments

Preece shared a Q&A for Birmingham Live on Thursday morning, where he was asked about the club’s transfer plans.

The Villa correspondent replied, saying: “A new No.9 to partner Ollie Watkins is at the top of Villa's shopping list this summer. The defence will be strengthened as well.”

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The Verdict: Makes sense

Watkins is in a real purple patch at this moment in time, but after selling Danny Ings in January, bringing in a new marquee attacker would be a sensible move. Teenager Jhon Duran arrived in the Midlands during the winter window, with Emery having Watkins and Duran as his only options.

Prior to recent months, Watkins had scored just three goals in 19 league games, which again shows that it would be a wise move to bolster their ranks further.

It will be interesting to see who the club decide to go for, but one man who has been mentioned is Moussa Dembele, with Emery thought to be a 'big fan'.