Emery in the Nic of time

UNAI EMERY is set to call off his seach for a striker and press Nicolo Zaniolo into service as an emergency hit-man.

Aston Villa’s boss is ready to admit defeat in his search to find a back-up to regular No.9 Ollie

Wakins. And he has primed the Italian to fill the void should his main striker pick up a knock. Emery (right) has options in every position except main striker, with England international Watkins operating without a deputy as Jhon Duran will be sidelined for up to two months with a hamstring injury.

Emery needs a player to play second fiddle to Watkins but can’t find one and so he’s looking internally for a solution.

Asked if he was concerned about the club’s leading scorer picking up a knock, the Spaniard replied: “Yes. It’s not easy to replace him. But there are other players we can use as a striker and one of those is Nicolo Zaniolo.

“When we signed him we knew he could play as a winger, second striker or even a striker. So we are working with him to play as a striker because of his qualities. We are practising with hm, in case Watkins has problems.”

The 24-year-old Italian international (top), on loan from

Galatasaray, has already been used in several positions but

Emery is convinced he can cut the mustard leading the line.

“We have spoken to Zaniolo and I think he can help us in the second half of the season,” Emery said.

“He can hold up the ball, he can run in behind defenders or drop and help us with the ball.”

The Aston Villa boss laughed off suggestions that he will say goodbye to former England Under-21 international Jacob Ramsey.

“Jacob is very important to us,” he said. “There may be speculation about him but he has great potential for Aston Villa and England. He grew up here in the academy and I want him to stay here, 100 percent.”