In January Arsenal made a serious attempt to steal Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa in the lead up to deadline day, a striker who’s been linked with north London for years.
Watkins is said to be a boyhood Arsenal fan, a striker who has now scored 84 goals for Villa in 212 appearances since arriving from Brentford in 2020.
And at 29-years-old, there’s a feeling that it’s almost now or never for Watkins if he does intend to leave Villa, something he might ultimately decide against.
Unai Emery has propelled Villa back into the Champions League and all signs are currently pointing towards that success continuing.
But as Arsenal push to sign a new striker this summer, talk of Watkins making his way to the Emirates Stadium is bound to gather pace again.
Marcus Rashford is thriving as a striker for Villa right now, but that’s not to say that the club are any less invested in keeping Watkins long-term.
David Ornstein gives his verdict on Arsenal signing Ollie Watkins
That considered, reliable journalist David Ornstein shared his thoughts on Watkins potentially leaving Villa for Arsenal on The Athletic FC podcast.
The journalist suggested that a move is unlikely in the summer, when Arsenal will perhaps move on to other targets.
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But Ornstein also stressed that you ‘never know’ in football.
He said: “January saw them (Arsenal) attempt to sign Ollie Watkins. It was an opportunity presented to them potentially by Aston Villa, depending on what decision they would make on Jhon Duran.
“It didn’t work out with Arsenal. John Duran departed and let’s see if that ship has sailed now.
“I think most probably, but you never know in this industry.”
Arsenal in talks to sign a former Aston Villa target
Of course, Arsenal are pushing to sign Nico Williams this summer, a winger who has also been linked with Villa in the past.
And whilst many may consider Williams to now be out of reach, Monchi demonstrated in January that Villa’s project does have enormous pull and ambition – hence the loan signings of Rashford and Marco Asensio.
Paris Saint-Germain have named their price for Asensio, one that should be very palatable from a Villa point of view.
And in truth, Villa probably don’t need the stress of another Watkins transfer saga this summer whilst they are aiming to secure more talent to support the striker.
A big summer ahead for both clubs who are showing a lot of ambition on the transfer front.
