Arsenal made a move to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in the January transfer window but will not be returning for the 29-year-old in the summer
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Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins(Image: Paul Currie/REX/Shutterstock)
Arsenal have reportedly decided against reigniting their interest in Aston Villa's star striker Ollie Watkins ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Gunners raised eyebrows across the Premier League when they made a move for Villa's 29-year-old forward this winter.
Despite Watkins' impressive tally of 14 goals and 12 assists this season, Arsenal were unable to strike a deal that the West Midlands club could agree to.
This proved to be a costly miss for Arsenal, especially as they found themselves without a recognised striker for the rest of the season.
Both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus suffered season-ending injuries at the start of the year, making the failure to secure Watkins even more bitter for them.
Sky Sports News reports that Arsenal will not make another bid for Watkins this summer, as they aim to prioritise a younger striker.
It is believed that the Gunners only approached Villa in January on an opportunistic basis, knowing that the West Midlands club needed to offload either Watkins or Jhon Duran.
At the time, Duran's move to Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr was uncertain, and Arsenal felt they could swoop in for Watkins if the deal fell through.
However, as it turned out, Duran did make the move to the Middle East, allowing Villa to retain their star striker.
Arsenal believed they had a good chance of attracting Watkins to the Emirates Stadium, given his childhood support for the Gunners.
In a 2020 interview with Sports Gazette, he expressed his admiration for the club: "Thierry Henry, as an Arsenal fan, was unbelievable to watch.
"He was my idol growing up.
"The dream is to play for Arsenal one day but it's a long shot.
"My family support them and stuff like that but that's the long term."
The sale of Duran would keep Watkins at Villa and allow Unai Emery to invest in a push for Champions League qualification.
Loan signings Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford have proven to be vital for Villa since January and the club could look to make those deals permanent in the summer.