Declan Rice, Mikel Arteta
That is the opinion of former senior Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The 30-year-old ultimately moved to Al Hilal in a £51m deal in the final days of the window, before scoring a debut goal off the bench against Al Ahli on Tuesday.
Watkins scored 16 Premier League goals last season and 21 across all competitions - a tally that only Viktor Gyokeres matched for Arsenal.
The Gunners looked to bolster their attack this summer and after failing with a long pursuit of Vinicius Junior, hoped to convince Julian Alvarez to join them from Atletico Madrid.
But the forward is wedded to the idea of a move to Barcelona and has decided to stay in Spain, leaving Mikel Arteta's squad short in attack.
🇸🇦 OLLIE WATKINS DEBUT GOAL! 🚨
The England striker has had a dream start to life at Al Hilal!
He came off the bench at half time to score in a 3-0 win over Ivan Toney’s Al-Ahli side. #AVFC #RoshnSaudiLeague pic.twitter.com/JjcKrx7IRh
— English Players Abroad (@EnglishAbroad1) September 1, 2026
Arsenal should have sealed Ollie Watkins deal
An Arsenal move for Watkins would not have been massively surprising, but they would have undoubtedly hoped to pay a lower fee.
The Gunners attempted sign the striker in January 2025, and had a £40m bid turned down in the final days of the window.
Villa reportedly indicated that they would have let Watkins go for around £60m, but Arsenal were not interested at that price and ultimately signed Gyokeres in the summer.
Speaking to Football Insider, King said: "There's two players now who've moved to Al Hilal. I mean, if Spurs had been looking for a centre-forward, or if Arsenal were looking for a centre-forward, why not go for Watkins?
"I would've thought he'd have been the sort of player that would have fitted in well with [Declan] Rice. He'd have settled in quickly.
"The English players you've got, I mean, [Bukayo] Saka and Rice. Watkins would have been a good option, wouldn't he? And at £50m, I can't understand why they're not in the equation with the Saudi club."
"You're talking about a player now that could cost anywhere between £120m and £150m, Alvarez. Bloody Watkins costs £50m! A proven Premier League goal scorer," he added.
Watkins would have jumped at Arsenal chance
Watkins is a self-admitted Arsenal fan, and undoubtedly would have jumped at the chance to join Ezri Konsa in North London.
The 30-year-old scored seven goals in 13 games against the Gunners, and spoke after he had netted a brace at the Emirates Stadium in 2020.
"I’m not sure my grandad or uncle Baz are going to be too happy," Watkins admitted after the game.
"They are Arsenal fans & I am an Arsenal fan myself - but I’m buzzing. I am sure they will love it really. I am over the moon."