Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins would be a "great signing" for West Ham, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

The Hammers have needed another striker in their squad for some time and are interested in signing Watkins when the transfer window reopens for business next month.

What's the latest news involving Watkins?

West Ham were keen on signing the 26-year-old in the summer of 2020, but eventually missed out when he decided to join Aston Villa in a £30m deal.

Despite not hitting the heights of last season, Watkins has generally flourished as a Premier League player, scoring 23 goals in 69 top-flight appearances over the last two years.

As a result, West Ham want to reignite their interest in the England forward and bring him to the London Stadium.

According to reliable Hammers outlet Claret and Hugh, Watkins has become David Moyes' number one target this summer, although West Ham face a battle to secure his services.

Arsenal have been previously linked with the £31.5m-rated striker, while Villa are set to offer him a new contract to fend off interest from other Premier League clubs.

What did O'Rourke say about Watkins?

He told GIVEMESPORT: "We all know that West Ham need a striker, they've needed one for the last three of four transfer windows and have not brought one in, so landing someone like Ollie Watkins would be a great signing for them."

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Would Watkins be a good signing for West Ham?

With Watkins being English and still only 26-years-old, West Ham might have to break their record fee to bring him to the London Stadium.

However, they would be getting an extremely useful footballer more than capable of not only performing consistently at Premier League level, but someone who can play in more than one position, which could prove important if the Hammers qualify for Europe once again.

Watkins has been directly involved in 29 goals in 69 top-flight outings, which is an extremely decent return for a player who hadn't kicked a ball at this level previously.

During the same period, current first choice frontman, Michail Antonio, has contributed to 30 goals, but he has found the net seven times fewer than the ex-Brentford man.

Therefore, if West Ham can convince Watkins to move down to the capital, it would be a really fine piece of business for Moyes and ease the workload on Antonio, who's been asked to play three times a week more often than not this season.