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Arsenal have retained their interest in Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, according to former scout Mick Brown. The English forward has scored 17 goals and set up 14 more from 54 games across competitions this season for Aston Villa.
The Birmingham-based club are apparently willing to let him go after missing out on Champions League football for next season. The Gunners have had their eyes on the 29-year-old for a while and also wanted him in January.
Speaking to Football Insider, Brown stated that The Villans could be forced to sell Watkins to balance their books this summer.
“Aston Villa will look to sell Watkins this summer. They know he’s a player who has attracted a lot of interest and clubs will be willing to pay for. Looking at their financial situation, they feel they’re going to have to sell players to help balance the books and avoid any sort of punishment," said Brown.
He continued:
“Arsenal tried to sign Watkins in January and that interest hasn’t gone away. Villa paid around £30million for him, and he’s been worth far more than that to them with what he’s achieved since he’s come in. Now, they believe they can make a profit on him if clubs come in with offers. It’s not their fault but it’s the situation they’re in, and he is seen as a sellable asset.”
Arsenal could view Watkins as an upgrade on Gabriel Jesus, who missed most of the 2024-25 season due to injury.
Are Arsenal eyeing a move for Julian Alvarez this summer?
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Julian Alvarez
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool are all hot on the heels of Julian Alvarez ahead of the summer, according to El Chiringuito. MARCA, however, adds that the Gunners are trying the hardest to secure the services of the Argentinean.
Alvarez was a hit with Manchester City, where he won the treble in the 2022/23 campaign. Last summer, the 25-year-old left the Etihad to move to Atletico Madrid and has continued his tremendous form.
Alvarez registered 29 goals and seven assists from 54 games across competitions for Los Rojiblancos in the recently concluded season. The north London side are looking for a new striker this summer and have apparently identified the Argentinean as a priority.
New Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta signed the player for Atletico Madrid last year and is now planning to bring him to the Emirates. Alvarez, however, is under contract at the Metropolitano Stadium until 2030, so he's likely to cost a significant fee.
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 19.5 million reads.
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