West Ham United will try and sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins this summer, according to insiders Claret and Hugh.

The Lowdown: Watkins under Gerrard

Watkins has been a regular under Steven Gerrard since he took over in November, missing just one Premier League game during that time.

He has netted six times under Gerrard, mainly turning out as a centre-forward after starting on the left wing in Gerrard's first fixture in charge against Brighton.

The forward has been Villa’s best-rated forward this season, as per WhoScored, and it looks as if his displays have now caught the eye elsewhere.

The Latest: West Ham insider shares interest

Claret and Hugh shared a story regarding David Moyes’ interest in Watkins on Friday morning. They revealed that the West Ham boss is seriously tracking the Villa star, who is thought to be his number one target.

Villa are not interested in selling the England international ahead of Gerrard’s first full season in charge, however, a West Ham insider told the site ‘that won’t stop us trying’.

The Verdict: Villa in control

Watkins isn’t the first Villa player who has been linked with a move to the London Stadium this year. The Hammers were name-checked with an interest in Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi, so Watkins is actually the third in 2022.

However, the forward is under contract until 2025, so Villa will be under no pressure to sell over the coming months. The club are also willing to make the 26-year-old one of their top earners with a fresh deal, so even though West Ham will try and lure Watkins to London, Villa chiefs appear to be in total control of the situation at this moment in time.

In other news: Source: Villa now open to selling 2022 star this summer despite Gerrard being a big fan.