Jamie Carragher reveals Aston Villa ‘offer’ to Arsenal in January as transfer failed for one reason
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher claims Aston Villa ‘offered’ one of their players to Arsenal during this year’s winter transfer window.
The Gunners did not make a signing in January, but they were in the market for a striker after Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were ruled out for the remainder of this season with injuries.
Mikel Merino’s impressive performances as a stand-in striker have eased Arsenal’s problems, but head coach Mikel Arteta would have preferred to sign a new forward.
Arsenal were linked with several potential options and they made a shock bid to sign England international Ollie Watkins from Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
The Villans reportedly wanted around £60m for Watkins, but Arsenal failed to meet this asking price with the forward only under contract until 2026. Commenting on this proposed transfer, Carragher claims the striker was “offered” to the Gunners.
“When we talk about Arsenal going for Ollie Watkins, someone told me that Aston Villa offered him to Arsenal. I know that,” Carragher revealed on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
READ: Arsenal have 18-point Premier League regret but £32.5m January calls pay off handsomely
“I don’t think it was Arsenal phoning Villa saying they want to sign him. Arsenal didn’t sign him because they didn’t offer a lot of money. They offered around £50 million.
“However, this is the information I had. If I know that then I’m sure his agent knows that.
“Villa have spent a lot of money, and they need to get something back. In an ideal world, you probably would sell Ollie Watkins and keep Jhon Durán because he is the younger player – he is only 21.”
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Arsenal’s Champions League run was also discussed on The Overlap. Gunners legend Ian Wright is confident that they “can win” the competition.
“You have to think that Arsenal can win the Champions League. PSG have beaten them before, but that was a different PSG – and Arsenal are different too. This is the semi-final,” Wright said.
“I saw that four teams have won the Champions League for the first time in Munich, and that will be either Arsenal or PSG.
“I got so sucked into that! It’s the stage of the competition where you are very nervous because it comes down to whether the players are ready to go for it now.”
On Myles Lewis-Skelly, Wright added: “He has the exuberance of youth. Does he even realise the enormity of the situation?
“He’s played 20-odd games now, and his elevation – playing for England and now against Real Madrid in that stadium against those players. It’s brilliant.
“Eight months ago, he was just dreaming about getting into the first-team training squad, then he gets in the team. He’s so mature.”
