Wednesday 18 December 2019 15:23, UK
Brentford have ramped up Ollie Watkins' valuation towards the £25m mark as they look to keep Premier League mitts off their man this winter.
The 23-year-old is having another stellar season having been converted into a centre-forward, scoring 13 goals to attract interest from a string of top-flight clubs.
Crystal Palace and Sheffield United are among those to have expressed interest in him in the past but the Bees see a great chance to finish in the top six this season and are not interested in selling their prize asset in January.
They valued him at £20m in the summer but he has since a new four-year contract, is now valued as a number nine instead of a winger, and the Bees see a push for the play-offs on the cards.
It would therefore take a record offer for the west London club to even consider selling Watkins, who has taken his club tally to 35 goals in 116 games and led a charge that puts Thomas Frank's side fourth in the table this season.
Watkins joined the Bees from Exeter in a £1.8m deal in July 2017 and swiftly took to Championship football, establishing himself as a first-team regular and scoring 11 goals in his first season.
