Liverpool labelled ‘favourites’ for unexpected signing who Arsenal bid for in January
Liverpool are now “favourites” to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in the summer transfer window, according to a transfer insider.
The Reds were crowned Premier League champions on Sunday after they beat Tottenham 5-1 at Anfield to top off a brilliant season for Arne Slot’s men.
Second-placed Arsenal are 15 points adrift of the newly-crowned champions with Liverpool going down as one of the earliest title winners in Premier League history.
And that has allowed Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes to turn their attention towards the summer transfer window with a number of new additions likely.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s imminent exit, plus their lack of spending over the last couple of transfer windows, points to a big summer in the market.
Liverpool are likely to spend money on a new centre-forward with doubts over whether Darwin Nunez still has a place at Anfield under Slot.
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And now former Man Utd and Tottenham scout Mick Brown – who is still well-connected within the Premier League – reckons Liverpool will make a move for Aston Villa striker Watkins in the summer.
Arsenal made a bid for the England international in the January transfer window, which was rejected by Villa, but not Brown reckons Liverpool are the “favourites” to sign the striker over the summer.
Brown told Football Insider: “Liverpool have won the league without much pressure. Arsenal fell away and Man City have fallen off a cliff, that won’t be the case next season.
“So they know they will need better options in certain positions, and one of those positions is a centre-forward, because the manager isn’t happy with his options.
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“They have a few ideas about which players they’re going to look at, and Ollie Watkins is one.
“The reason for that is he’s different to most strikers at the moment because he always wants to stretch the defence, drift wide and run in behind.
“That’s what Liverpool want to do, they want players who can threaten in behind.
“Salah is a perfect example, but that’s also why they signed the likes of Nunez and Diaz because they’re always willing to make those runs. Watkins does that very well, so Liverpool will be interested in him.
“When you’re Premier League champions, you always have the upper hand when it comes to transfers, particularly if you can offer a place in the starting XI.
“If you offered Watkins the chance to become the starting striker for Liverpool he’d want to make that move.
“So if he leaves Villa, there’s no doubt there will be interest, and Liverpool would be the favourites.”