Reports suggest that Arsenal are looking to make a move for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins in the summer transfer window.
Journalist Steve Kay (via Caught Offside) has stated that Mikel Arteta is a big admirer of the Englishman, and is looking to add him to his squad. No fee has been mentioned, but Villa will be looking to recoup the £28m they spent on him back in 2020.
Nketiah has been deputising for Gabriel Jesus since his injury, but has only scored four goals since Christmas. Watkins could be an upgrade on the young striker, having registered more goal contributions, shots on target, goal-creating actions, and crosses. He has also made more key passes and has more shots per game than Nketiah.
Dean Smith praised Watkins as one of the best in his position, and the £75k-per-week gem has scored 14 league goals this season. He is also versatile, being able to play across the front three, and has 111 goals in his senior career. Signing Watkins could prove to be a very wise investment for Arsenal.
Arsenal suffered a significant blow during the World Cup with the news that Gabriel Jesus would miss around three months due to an injury that required surgery. This put pressure on young striker Nketiah to deputise for the Brazilian.
The 23-year-old has scored four goals since Christmas but sustaining a title challenge with just one recognised senior number nine is proving to be difficult.
Watkins could add some much-needed depth to this department for Arteta, and could well be an upgrade on Nketiah next season.
