Arsenal ‘targeting’ transfer for England star who’s already said it’s his ‘dream’ to play for the Gunners
ARSENAL are set to target Aston Villa hitman Ollie Watkins in the January transfer window, a report claims.
The move presents an attractive option for the England star who has already confessed his “dream” is to play for the Gunners.
Watkins, 27, has come up the ranks in recent years emerging as one of the Premier League’s best strikers.
The former Brentford hitman moved to the Midlands for £28million in 2020.
Since his debut at Villa Park, he has scored 50 goals in 127 appearances.
Last term Watkins proved himself as a versatile attacker, scoring 16 goals and providing six assists in all competitions.
This season he has continued his goalscoring streak with seven goals and four assists in 13 games.
And he had a remarkable performance for England on Friday night netting the game’s only goal in their friendly against Australia.
His impressive start has made him an attractive target for the North London club, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.
Mikel Arteta is desperate to add depth to his frontline to give the squad the best run for the league title this term.
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Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have led the line for the Gunners this season but have scored just three Premier League goals between them.
And a move for Watkins may be more attractive than other transfer options as he previously admitted to being a devoted Gunners fan.
He said: “That’s the dream to play for Arsenal one day. But it’s a long shot.
“It’s only because my family support them and stuff like that. But that’s a long-term [goal].”
However, the deal will not be easy to finalise, as the striker’s renewed contract with Villa runs until the summer of 2028.
Meaning the West Midlands side has no urgency to sell their star man and will most likely come with an expensive price tag if the Gunners go for a deal.
Arsenal have already spent a hefty amount during the summer which could limit their chances of signing Watkins unless they make a big sale in January.
But the Villa star is not alone on Arteta’s list for a new No9 as the Spaniard is also keen on signing another Premier League ace Ivan Toney.
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