Arsenal ‘consider another move’ for Aston Villa star Watkins as options narrow

Joe Williams
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta gestures during a match.

Arsenal are mulling over another bid for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins before the transfer deadline, according to reports.

The Gunners are desperate to bring in a new striker before the transfer deadline after an injury to Gabriel Jesus left them with just Kai Havertz as their main centre-forward option.

Jesus will be out until the end of the season with a knee injury and Arsenal are now scouring the market looking for potential striker options before the transfer deadline.

The Gunners have been told to sign a new centre-forward over the past couple of years with Gary Neville and others claiming they won’t win the Premier League title without a new striker.

Arsenal made an unexpected bid for Aston Villa striker Watkins – who has contributed ten goals and five assists in 23 Premier League appearances this term – with initial reports claiming they offered £60m but it was revealed later that the bid was more like £45m.

And Miguel Delaney in The Independent claims that Arsenal could yet make an improved offer for Watkins with a bid of £60m needed “to get a deal done” after Villa signed Marcus Rashford on Sunday from Manchester United.

Mathys Tel is now on his way to Tottenham and other options look unlikely, Delaney wrote:

‘Arsenal have also been considering another move for Watkins, having first approached Villa on Monday. That enquiry left the London club with the understanding that the forward may be available for a certain price, although there was at that point a difference of at least £20m in valuation.

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‘Arsenal spoke to Villa over whether a deal of around £40m would be possible but £60m is more likely a figure to get a deal done. Villa have been one of the busiest clubs in the last few days of the window, having sold Jhon Duran to Al Nassr, and got to the final stages of attempts to complete loan deals for both Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Asensio and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford. The latter could actually allow United to complete a deal for Tel.

‘Villa are known to be close to PSR limits, which is why their business elsewhere has encouraged Arsenal to go in for Watkins. Arteta has long been a fan of the forward, who is a boyhood fan of the club, and has repeatedly scored against the side over the last few seasons.

‘With Watkins having turned 29 at the end of the year, Arsenal are only likely to go for him this window, and at a certain price. That has propelled a sense of “now or never” for a player that has always wanted to play for the club. In the summer, Arsenal would move onto a younger profile of target that isn’t available now, such as Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.’