Former Aston Villa defender Stephen Warnock believes Arsenal would be a perfect destination for Ollie Watkins.
The England international had an outstanding season for the Villans, scoring 27 goals in all competitions but, if he decides to leave to pursue trophies, Warnock told BetVictor that he should head to the Emirates:
“The question is whether he wants medals and to try and win the Premier League. Would he go to Chelsea for that? Would he go to Arsenal, Manchester City or Liverpool? I’m not so sure he would. I could see him moving to Arsenal, but I don’t see him going to City or Liverpool.”
Watkins has been linked with the Gunners over the past 12 months and, with the club still on the lookout for a new No.9, there is a possibility that a bid for the 28-year-old could be considered.
Arsenal would have to spend a sizeable sum to sign the striker
The Mirror claim that Villa have slapped an £80m price tag on Watkins, which is likely to be a lot more than Mikel Arteta’s side are willing to pay.
While they were seemingly prepared to splash out on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko earlier in the summer, the Slovenian is 7 years younger and his release clause was set at €65m (£55m).
Are there any alternatives to Watkins?
Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres has been regularly mentioned as a possible target for the Gunners but, again, his asking price may be too high, with the Swedish international’s buyout fee standing at €100m (£84m).
Cheaper options such as Ajax’s Brian Brobbey and Girona’s Artem Dovbyk have also been suggested but many fans believe that, if the club is to recruit a new No.9 this summer, it has to be a big name who can really make a big difference at the top end of the pitch.
