Aston Villa’s striker, Ollie Watkins, is open to joining Arsenal this month, but his club wants to keep him.
Arsenal are reported to be interested in Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. The Gunners made an offer to sign Watkins, but Villa ended up rejecting it.
Arsenal being after Watkins doesn’t come as a surprise, especially when looking at his talent. They were hopeful that a deal was possible, but Aston Villa rejected the first offer.
The 29-year-old looks appealing to the club who want to sign him during this window. The Gunners aren’t over the deal yet. Reportedly, they plan to make a second offer in hopes of changing Aston Villa’s mind.
The club needs a striker, especially with the injuries of Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka. With 10 goals and five assists, Watkins has a lot to offer.
Aston Villa have not only rejected Arsenal’s initial offer for Watkins, but they might reject any following offers as well. With Jhon Duran close to joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, Aston Villa isn’t ready to let go of Watkins as well.
Even if they made another offer, a deal is unlikely. If Duran’s deal was sealed, then Villa would be even more determined to keep Watkins with them. After all, no club will ever be ready to lose two of its prominent strikers in the same transfer window.
There is also the fact that the transfer window will close soon which makes it difficult for Aston Villa to find a replacement for Watkins. Not to mention that it is the middle of the season, and Villa have a long way ahead of them. They would want to keep their best players.
Arsenal isn’t the only one interested in the move as Watkins himself is also interested. As reported by ESPN journalist James Olley, Watkins is open to joining them, especially since he supported the Gunners when he was younger.
Watkins’ dream of joining Arsenal could only become a reality if the two parties reach an agreement soon. Watkins’ interest is heightened by the fact that this might be the only chance for him to join his boyhood club.
Olley has said while speaking on ESPN:
“The situation with Watkins is kind of complicated. He would like the move, I’m told, I think he’s open to joining Arsenal, and he is on record as saying that it would be his dream to play for the Gunners one day. But it is a difficult situation because it comes right near the end of the window, but also there is some uncertainty about Villa’s other centre-forward, Jhon Duran, who is attracting interest from Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.”
The Gunners are keeping in mind the fact that Villa will probably reject their next bid as well. The club reportedly has their eyes set on Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel.
Tel would be a great addition to them, especially since he is 19 years old. However, Arsenal isn’t the only one interested in him with Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Aston Villa also showing interest in the forward.
Whether Watkins join Arsenal or not is still to be seen in the following days. If the team failed to sign him, they might wait for the summer transfer window. Another option for the Gunners is to sign another player such as Tel.
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