Steven Gerrard expected to sell Aston Villa striker

Former Aston Villa forward Paul Merson predicts that one of their strikers "will get moved on" by Steven Gerrard before long.

Danny Ings led the line and played the full 90 minutes during the defeat to Watford while Ollie Watkins dropped down to the bench before being brought on for just over half an hour in place of Douglas Luiz.

It was the summer signing's first Villa start since the middle of last month, and after going goalless again has scored just once - at Brentford - since scoring the opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 16th following a combination of injuries and sporadic substitute outings.

Watkins had been a more regular starter before swapping places with Ings against Roy Hodgson 's Hornets, but likewise has struggled in front of goal as of late and is still waiting for a first strike of the calendar year after six scoreless appearances so far.

The player-turned-pundit has now compared Watkins with a Villa striker of years past.

“Ollie Watkins, to me, is like Emile Heskey was," Merson said on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday programme pre-match (via Birmingham World ). "Emile was an unbelievable player for the team.

“Watkins has got to get back to scoring goals regularly; that is his job. The rest of the centre-forwards are more creative.

“I think one of them will get moved on, but I don’t know who.

"If Coutinho carries on doing what he has been doing, Villa fans will make sure that the club signs him.

“You’ve got three players in Ings, Emi Buendia and Philippe Coutinho, who really want to provide for others. Ings is also a goalscorer, and he, for me, is top-drawer.

“Sometimes, you go to other places, and it doesn’t suit the way you play. Watkins likes playing up front on his own, so he