---
title: "Villa should replace Davis in January"
canonical: "https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/31/villa-should-replace-davis-in-january/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Crippy Cooke"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2020-12-31T19:19:00Z"
modified: "2020-12-31T19:19:00Z"
---

# Villa should replace Davis in January

Ollie Watkins has scored eight goals and supplied two assists in [17 games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ollie-watkins/leistungsdaten/spieler/324358) for Aston Villa since [joining](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ollie-watkins/transfers/spieler/324358) on a five-year deal from Brentford in September, but Dean Smith doesn’t have a backup option in case of injury.

Wesley Moraes is still recovering from [injury](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/04/dean-smith-gives-wesley-injury-update/) while Keinan Davis has been short of form and playing time, so Villa may need to scour the transfer market for an upgrade on the latter. Smith has [said](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9041287/Dean-Smith-pondering-striker-January-window-Wesley-not-deemed-fit.html) as much too.

Davis has made [75 appearances](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/keinan-davis/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/412660) in all competitions since [joining](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/keinan-davis/transfers/spieler/412660) from Biggleswade Town in 2015, scoring five goals with six assists, but he hasn’t found the back of the net in the Premier League since Villa were promoted from the Championship in 2019.

The 22-year-old is without a goal in [21 league games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/keinan-davis/detaillierteleistungsdaten/spieler/412660) and has only managed [five shots on target](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/303107/History/Keinan-Davis) for his troubles. Davis is all Smith has to call upon from the bench if Villa are searching for a goal, but he’s proven not to be reliable with only [one goal in all competitions](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/keinan-davis/alletore/spieler/412660) since August 2019.

Watkins has played every minute of every league game [this season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/aston-villa/leistungsdaten/verein/405/plus/0?reldata=GB1%262020) while Davis has only amassed 41 minutes of top-flight football, so it’s clear his manager doesn’t trust him.

Divock [Origi](https://readastonvilla.com/?p=32565), Odsonne [Edouard](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/22/villa-odsonne-edouard-transfer-unlikely-rumours/)and Josh [King](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/22/aston-villa-josh-king-january-transfer-latest-gregg-evans/) have been linked with a move to Villa, but it remains to be seen which striker the Midlands outfit end up signing.