Aston Villa left fuming by Arsenal's £60m Ollie Watkins bid as club make stance clear
Arsenal have launched a surprise £60million bid to sign striker Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa this month and the Midlands side have been left fuming by the timing of the approach
by Neil Moxley · The MirrorAston Villa are adamant Ollie Watkins will NOT be sold during the January transfer window.
Villa’s officials are fuming news leaked of a £60m bid by Arsenal for the striker little more than two hours before their Champions League showdown against Celtic.
The north London club has made no secret of their desire to strengthen with the purchase of a top-class striker - and have decided to turn to the Devonian.
But their initial attempt has been rebuffed - and with time not on their side it is likely Villa will be able to see of the latest attack on their strike force.
Suitors have been circling Villa Park this month - on the hunt for Watkins’s understudy Jhon Duran. The 21-year-old Colombian has attracted a £57m offer from West Ham, but that figure remains hotly disputed at Villa Park.
Additional interest in the south American has come from the Middle East with Saudi Pro club Al-Nassr. But Villa will need to seriously consider offloading Duran if they receive a bid of upwards of £70m.
They would prefer to sell to a club that is seen as a non-competitor in the Premier League. However, Villa are now fighting a war on two fronts with Arsenal’s interest in Watkins very real.
Will Arsenal land Ollie Watkins this month? Have your say below.
The 29-year-old signed a new, long-term deal with Villa just 15 months ago and has been integral to the club’s rise into the Champions League slots last season.
He is second only to Kevin de Bruyne in terms of being the fastest to 100 goal involvements. Those came in 169 games, another statistic that will appeal to Mikel Arteta.
But with just five days left to the transfer window's closure, Villa remain confident they can fend off interest and retain their man—at least until the summer.
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