Keane reveals blunt assessment of Arsenal target with Arteta warned against summer transfer
Roy Keane has commented on Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins amid reports suggesting Arsenal remain interested in the England international.
Watkins has developed into one of the best strikers in the Premier League as he’s shone for Aston Villa and England in recent seasons.
The 29-year-old – under contract until 2028 – has 13 goals and eleven assists in his 38 appearances across all competitions this season.
The Aston Villa standout was linked with a shock exit in January as Arsenal submitted a bid to their rivals after it became clear that they were unlikely to sign RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko in the summer.
Arsenal’s offer was submitted while Jhon Duran was finalising his move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, so Villa unsurprisingly decided to swiftly reject this bid as they were unwilling to sell Watkins.
Having failed to sign a striker in January, Arsenal are expected to land at least one new forward in the summer. A recent report claimed they are already preparing a ‘new bid’ for Watkins, who they want to be their ‘second key addition’ before next season.
Watkins provided an assist as Aston Villa beat Cardiff City 2-0 in the FA Cup on Friday night. Ian Wright and Roy Keane dissected his performance and the latter claimed “maybe this is his level”.
“It’s just the decisions when you are in the box because I think that he had enough time,” Wright said.
“You can clip that over the trailing leg, because… when you are doing your football training, you know you have got to lift something because if you try and place it you have got to be so accurate…”
Keane responded: “I like Watkins, I think he is a really good player. I think he is a threat, but maybe this is his level.
“I know he has been linked with other clubs, but sometimes you go ‘maybe you are not going to be that top, top striker’.“
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While Arsenal have been warned against pursuing Watkins, former Chelsea winger Boudewijn Zenden has told the Gunners and Liverpool to sign teenage Ajax defender Jorrel Hato.
“I think Hato could be definitely a player for the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal to keep an eye on,” Zenden said.
“Will he move in the summer? Matthijs de Ligt, who’s now at United, was captain at Ajax when he was 18, and then he moved to Bayern Munich when he was only 19 or 20.”
He added: “The most important thing for any young player is that you’re given the chance to play.
“If you play, you will have the best possible development. If you move to a team where you’re not likely to start, it’s not going to be easy to develop and improve. Hato is very mature. I think he was 16 when he made his Ajax debut. He’s still only 18.
“We’ve seen it previously when Dutch players move abroad, some go a bit too early and then it doesn’t work out. Then eventually they move back, or they make a few different moves. Holland, you get the opportunity to play professional football at an early age if you’re good enough.
“You gain a lot of experience quickly, and if you’re already playing professional football at 17, by the time you’re 21, maybe you’ve already got 80 or 90 games under your belt in the highest division, and you might have also made your international debut.”
