Arsenal’s surprise bid for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins was rejected in the final week of the transfer window.
The Gunners seem to have solidified their interest in the boyhood Arsenal fan and will be hoping to have this transfer wrapped up before this transfer window’s deadline, Monday at 11 pm.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the transfer fee offered for the England international is in the region of £60m but was rejected. The Birmingham side were reportedly unhappy about how close the bid was to this week’s UEFA Champions League fixtures.
Do Arsenal need a striker?
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta currently has only Kai Havertz available as a senior squad option up front due to Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury previously this season.
The Gunners currently sit six points below Liverpool in the Premier League and clearly believe that additional help up front could help them to claw back that deficit and challenge for the title this season.
Some of Arsenal’s more forward players, such as Havertz, Raheem Sterling, and Martin Odegaard have scored less than their xG. This is obviously something that the Arsenal staff must be aware of and a reason why they have been linked with forward options throughout the transfer window.
Why Ollie Watkins?
The 29-year-old has worked his way up through the English football pyramid from Exeter City in League Two, to Brentford in the Championship, followed by a move to Villa in the Premier League.
So far this season, Watkins has contributed 10 goals and five assists to the Birmingham side’s league campaign. Last season, he had an exceptional year scoring 19 goals and assisting another 13 to help Unai Emery’s side reach 4th place and qualify for their current Champions League campaign.
Watkins also showed himself as the man for the big occasion this summer when he scored a late winner in the UEFA European Championships semi-final against the Netherlands to help his national side secure a place in the final of the competition.
His versatility means he is experienced across the forward positions too, something Mikel Arteta seems keen on utilising in current Arsenal squad members like Leandro Trossard.
Can Aston Villa cope without Watkins?
Villa boss Unai Emery currently has two fantastic options for centre-forward in Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran. However, it can be tough to keep both players happy with their number of minutes over a season despite their additional games in Europe.
Jamie Carragher recently told Sky Sports that he would sell Duran and that he believes that Villa will not get the best out of either man whilst both are at the same club.
Unfortunately for the Birmingham-based side, this bid has come late in the transfer window which will not give Emery and his staff much time to identify a replacement for Watkins and complete a move for them before the deadline. However, in Jhon Duran, they have a proven Premier League goal scorer who is already adjusted to Emery’s style of play.