Arsenal were unwilling to meet Aston Villa’s £60 million valuation of striker Ollie Watkins late in the transfer window.
After Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka were injured, the Gunners were more eager to add a forward as the transfer window was getting shut. To Villa’s chagrin, they decided to make a late bid for Watkins.
It was eventually revealed that Arsenal had bid £40 million, despite initial reports that they had bid £60 million. Villa remained steadfast in their demands, and Unai Emery quickly put a stop to the rumors by stating in public that neither the team nor the player were interested in a move.
When asked about Arsenal’s positions, reporter David Ornstein stated on The Athletic FC Podcast that the Gunners just did not buy into Villa’s valuation of Watkins.
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“On Watkins, naturally these things are not easy when it gets to such a late point in the window,” Ornstein explained. “Clearly, Villa gave Arsenal the opportunity to do this deal or have a conversation on the basis of a £60m possibility.
“That was something clearly Arsenal were not prepared to do at that value for a 29-year-old, who in their eyes is probably not worth that much.
“They decided to suggest around the £40m mark. Villa were being serious when they suggested £60m because that’s where they value him and if they need to make the numbers work, with PSR and whatever else.
“That’s what they would have been prepared to have a conversation for. We don’t know if it would have led to an offer being accepted, but the door was clearly opened at that level and Arsenal weren’t prepared to go there.”
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