Arsenal were seriously interested in opening talks with Aston Villa to sign their top striker Ollie Watkins but they walked out of a deal due to the difference in their valuation.
It was touted that the Gunners offered £60 million as their opening bid, but sources later rectified that this sum was close to £40m. Both clubs were still in talks, and speculations were rising that a deal could be reached anytime soon.
However, Villa weren’t happy with the timing of the bid. After selling Jhon Dhuran to Al Nassr, Unai Emery’s side had no plans to let Watkins depart. They made it very clear that he remains a pivotal figure in their team.
The player wasn’t forcing a move either, which further complicated this transfer. They were ready to open talks if Arsenal spent £60m for the 29-year-old.
As the deadline day approached, these links started to fade away, and the Gunners soon pulled out of the race.
You’re 2 goals down, 12 minutes to go. You need to score 5 goals to qualify and the only subs you can afford to bring on are Jorginho and Calafiori. Defensive players. The board let Arteta down in the January transfer window.
— S. Kowino Jr. OTC☝🏽 (@KowinoJr) February 5, 2025
It is no secret that they were targeting a number nine in order to fill the void left by the injured players in their squad. But as manager Mikel Arteta previously mentioned, they are looking for only a certain type of player.
WHY DID ARSENAL PULLED THE PLUG ON WATKINS TRANSFER?
Watkins ticked all boxes in terms of on-field performances. Still, both Premier League rivals were far from deciding on a common valuation. Journalist David Ornstein was asked about why Arsenal chose not to make a move on the deadline day. Speaking to Athletic FC Podcast, he said:
“On Watkins, naturally these things are not easy when it gets to such a late point in the window. Clearly, 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, and if they need to make the numbers work, with PSR and whatever else.”
“That’s what they would have been prepared to have a conversation for. 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.”
David Ornstein suggest Aston Villa offered Ollie Watkins to Arsenal for £60m, Arsenal wanted to do it for £40m, no deal for January.
pic.twitter.com/gOTDzXqtJo— EmanDaGoon™ (@EmanDaGoon) February 3, 2025
Arteta also stated that he wasn’t happy with a lack of results in the January transfer window. The club didn’t get any of their short-listed targets and will have to make amends with their current options.
The manager is ready to stay patient and wait for Bukayo Saka to return from his injury in March. That might help ease the burden of scoring goals, but Gabriel Jesus’s injury has still left them exposed upfront.
MUST READ: Arsenal targeting Sunderland’s versatile midfielder for a potential summer move
Did they take a risk by not being generous while targeting Watkins? They might have ignored the deal due to the price tag. But it could come back to haunt them if the English star provides two or three excellent seasons for Villa.
