Tottenham Ready to Gazump Aston Villa in Pursuit of Brentford's Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa's hopes of signing Brentford striker Ollie Watkins could be derailed by a late transfer bid from Tottenham Hotspur for the 24-year-old's services.

Watkins, who finished as the Championship's second-top scorer last season with 25 goals, has been linked with a move away from west London for most of the summer after Brentford failed to seal promotion.

With the Bees having completed a deal for Peterborough striker Ivan Toney, rumours linking Watkins to the Villans have picked up in recent weeks, but it now looks as if José Mourinho is considering adding the former Exeter man to his squad.

According to The Sun's Alan Nixon, a bidding war between Spurs and Villa is in the offing, with the Lilywhites posing a serious threat to Dean Smith's attempts to get his man.

Nixon claims that Spurs constitute 'genuine competition' to Villa's attempts to snare the forward, and that while Watkins is eager to join 'the best club for him', Brentford are insisting on selling to the 'best bidder'.

It has been reported elsewhere that Watkins' services will come at a cost, with Daily Mail suggesting that Brentford will settle for no less than £25m for their man.

However, with Tottenham said to be prioritising a forward who can provide competition for Harry Kane (as per football.london), having sown up the signings of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Joe Hart and Matt Doherty, Watkins, who can play in all three positions across the forward line, could be the perfect solution to a position which has caused problems for Spurs in recent years.

Neither Spurs nor Aston Villa is likely to be signing another of their striker targets in Callum Wilson, with Bournemouth accepting a £20m bid from Newcastle United for the England international.

Though Villa bid for the forward, Newcastle ultimately met the Cherries' asking price, and he will link up once more with his former teammate Ryan Fraser.