Arsenal have had an opening bid for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins rejected, with the Midlands club holding firm on their valuation of the player.
The Gunners’ first offer is reported to be almost half of what Villa deem the 28-year-old to be worth, as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his attacking options in the final days of the transfer window.
Whilst the first reports were that Arsenal’s opening bid was £60million, it has now emerged from several source including The Telegraph, that the bid was actually closer to £40million, around half of Villa’s valuation.
Villa, who are pushing for a Champions League place this season, have made it clear they do not want to lose Watkins, who has been instrumental in their success under Unai Emery. It is understood though that Watkins, 29 and a lifelong Arsenal fan, really wants the move. Jhon Duran is set to move to Saudi Arabia, meaning any deal for Watkins just got more difficult and probably more expensive.
Arsenal’s interest in Watkins comes amid their search for a proven goal scorer to bolster their squad as they challenge for the Premier League title.
While Arsenal are reportedly considering a second offer, Villa’s stance remains strong. Having secured Watkins on a long-term contract, they are under no pressure to sell.
However, with Arsenal looking to add firepower to aid their title push, they may test Villa’s resolve with an improved bid before the window closes. They have received encouragement from the players camp that a deal could be done, and Unai Emery was seemingly open to the possibility of the player leaving in his post match comments last night.
Arsenal need an attacking signing in the next week, and if a deal for Watkins proves too difficult, they have other targets in mind.
Matheus Cunha from Wolves, Evan Ferguson from Brighton, and Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich are all being considered.
Additionally, Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen could also be on the market.