Ollie Watkins transfer split revealed as 'door opened' on Arsenal deal
Aston Villa sold one striker during the January transfer window, but it now appears that Jhon Duran was not always nailed on to be the one leaving the club in January.
Duran made his debut for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr on Monday after leaving Villa for a fee of around €70m on January 31. But Arsenal were also keen on Ollie Watkins, and it now appears that Unai Emery was open to letting his England striker leave if the right deal could be struck.
What’s more, it is claimed Watkins was “excited” by the thought of joining Arsenal, despite since going on the record to say he is happy at Villa.
READ MORE: Aston Villa v Tottenham referee confirmed after VAR storm at Newcastle United
READ MORE: Marcus Rashford sent stinging one-word putdown as Aston Villa warned about Man Utd repeat
While Duran was no doubt a challenging player to have in the Villa dressing room, his age at just 21 and goal return of 20 in 70 Villa matches, and many of them scored from the bench, meant he had huge potential. Watkins, meanwhile, is 29, has played more than 200 games for Villa and remains one of the most reliable strikers in the top-flight.
But The Athletic’s David Ornstein has now opened up on the background chat around Watkins once Arsenal’s interest in the player - and acknowledged Gunners fan - was known.
He says: “Villa gave Arsenal the opportunity to do this deal or have a conversation on the basis of a £60m possibility. That was something clearly Arsenal were not prepared to do at that value for a 29-year-old, who in their eyes is probably not worth that much.
“They decided to suggest around the £40m mark. Villa were being serious when they suggested £60m because that's where they value him. We don’t know if it would have led to an offer being accepted, but the door was clearly opened at that level and Arsenal weren’t prepared to go there.”
Another writer for The Athletic, James McNicholas, claims the Arsenal board were split on a Watkins approach before Arteta won them over - and that the possibility of a deal was first discussed during the 2-2 Premier League draw at the Emirates on January 18 - when Watkins grabbed Villa’s equaliser.
He writes: “Villa were always likely to sell one of Watkins or Duran the window. They were already in talks with Al Nassr about a possible transfer for Duran, but with some doubt over whether that deal would come to fruition they were prepared to entertain the prospect of selling Watkins to Arsenal for £60m.
“Arteta jumped at the idea. Although Watkins had never previously featured on Arsenal’s recruitment lists, the manager reasoned that here was a Premier League-proven goalscorer who could hit the ground running.
“Approval for Watkins was not unanimous. Some argued against paying a sizeable fee for a player who turns 30 before the end of 2025. As is often the case at Arsenal, Arteta’s stance won out.
“A boyhood Arsenal fan, Watkins was excited by the prospect of joining the club. On January 27, Arsenal submitted an opening offer of £40m — a price which reflected some of their concerns over the deal. Villa dismissed it immediately as it fell some way short of their valuation.”
He claims Arsenal intended to bid again, but Duran’s sale to Al Nassr effectively meant selling Watkins was no longer an option for Villa.
