‘BRILLIANT’ STRIKER WANTS £150,000 PER WEEK, EDU TRYING TO SIGN HIM FOR ARSENAL
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are now reportedly competing with Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.
According to Football Transfers, Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in signing Ollie Watkins from Premier League rivals Aston Villa in the January transfer window.
Edu trying to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins for Arsenal
The report has claimed that Arsenal Sporting Director Edu is in talks with agent Paulo Vernazza over bringing Watkins to the Emirates Stadium in the middle of the season.
Chelsea are also reportedly keen on Watkins.
Football Transfers has reported that Villa and the striker are in talks over a new deal, adding that the 27-year-old wants a five-year contract worth £150,000 per week as salary.
Arsenal could struggle to sign Ollie Watkins in January 2024
In our view, Arsenal could find it hard to get a deal done with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in the January transfer window.
Villa are playing in Europe this season and are also aiming to finish in the European places in the Premier League table.
Watkins is a big player in manager Unai Emery’s side.
Villa are an established and well-run club in the Premier League.
It is not as if the Villans are desperate for money.
Villa could well decide to turn down an offer from Arsenal for Watkins – described as a “brilliant” striker who “runs tirelessly in behind” by former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood on Sky Sports News (18/03, 12:26) – in the middle of the season.
We believe that a potential transfer to Arsenal is more likely in the summer of 2024 than in January 2024.
Watkins has made 115 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career.
The striker has scored 41 goals and given 15 assists in those games.
In midweek, the 24-year-old scored and assisted as Jurgen Klopp’s side opened their Europa League account with three points.
Darwin Nunez continued that form in the Premier League yesterday, as Alexis Mac Allister’s pin-point cross found his teammate dead centre of the penalty area and he excellently finished it at the first time of asking.
That’s four goals in all competitions for the previously-criticised forward, added with two assists, as he is really starting to find his feet on Merseyside.
Former Tottenham and Aston Villa boss Sherwood stated that he has always been a fan of the hard-hitting striker, who can help Liverpool push for the Premier League title this season.
