Arsenal preparing Summer Bid For Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins
According to a report, Arsenal are in the process of preparing a summer bid for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins. Despite an impressive tally of 21 goals in their last five Premier League matches, including 11 in their previous two, Arsenal’s pursuit of a top-tier number nine for the 2024-25 season is no secret.
Manager Mikel Arteta sanctioned the permanent departure of Folarin Balogun to Monaco last summer, leaving Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as the club’s recognized central striking options. However, injuries and inconsistent form have plagued Jesus.
Nketiah has found himself relegated to a backup role under Arteta, with Leandro Trossard often preferred in the number nine position for matches against West Ham United and Burnley, managing to score in both outings.
Although Kai Havertz, who is usually deployed at the forefront of Chelsea’s attack, has occasionally filled in at the striker position for Arsenal this season, his primary role has been to fill the midfield void left by Granit Xhaka’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite Trossard’s recent goal-scoring exploits, the Belgian is not viewed as a permanent solution to Arsenal’s striker dilemma. Furthermore, the Gunners refrained from making any expenditures in January, with Financial Fair Play regulations and their pursuit of a striker in the summer transfer window in mind.
According to reports from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Arsenal’s decision-makers have opted to prioritize a move for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and are in the process of preparing an official bid for the English forward in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Watkins, formerly of Brentford, has played a crucial role in Aston Villa’s quest for Champions League qualification in the 2023-24 season. He has notched double figures in both goals (13) and assists (12) from 25 appearances in the Premier League.
Despite the added workload from competing in the Europa Conference League, Watkins has been a regular starter in all of Aston Villa’s Premier League fixtures this season and recently scored twice in their 2-1 victory over Fulham.
At 28 years old, Watkins stands as the only player in the Premier League to achieve double figures in both goals and assists this season. He currently sits fourth in the race for the Golden Boot, trailing Erling Haaland (16), Mohamed Salah (15), and Dominic Solanke (14).
Amid increasing interest in his services, Aston Villa secured a new long-term contract with Watkins back in October. The England international’s current deal is set to run until the summer of 2028.
With Watkins tied down to a lengthy contract, Aston Villa are in a strong position to demand a significant fee for the striker. According to reports, offers would likely need to reach €100m (£85.6m) to even be considered.
Such a fee would mark a substantial profit on the €34m (£29.1m) Aston Villa paid Brentford for Watkins in 2020. Since his arrival, the former Exeter City player has tallied 61 goals and 25 assists in 151 appearances for the Lions across all competitions.
Watkins has emerged as an alternative target to Brentford’s current striker, Ivan Toney. Arsenal and Chelsea have been touted as potential suitors for Toney, especially considering he will enter the final year of his contract in the upcoming transfer window.
While Bees manager Thomas Frank has come to terms with the likelihood of losing Toney, there are now rumors circulating that Arsenal might have reservations about pursuing a move for the England international. Consequently, they could shift their focus to other strikers during the summer transfer window.
