Ollie Watkins | Arsenal bid c. £60m
- Thread starter Berbaclass
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I'm not sure how well Arsenal work if you swap Havertz and Watkins. Totally different players, and for all his comical finishing, Havertz is excellent in linking play and keeping them ticking over.
Villa have no reason to sell, can't really see this going anywhere unless it's an absurd bid.
Villa have no reason to sell, can't really see this going anywhere unless it's an absurd bid.
£60m for a 29 year old. I wouldn’t want that at the current version of United but can understand it for Arsenal. They feel really close and have a good squad, and desperately need that touch of quality upfront.
Shades of SAF buying a 29 year old RVP and winning the league.
Shades of SAF buying a 29 year old RVP and winning the league.
Arsenal really love beating around the bush when it comes to signing a lead their line centre forward don't they?
Watkins is a good player, but like Jesus and Havertz before him he's a particular type of forward when they need a number 9. They have pull at the minute and from looking at the amounts they spend on defensive mids every summer - they have funds. Just go out and by a proper centre forward. It's the single biggest thing holding them back.
Watkins is a good player, but like Jesus and Havertz before him he's a particular type of forward when they need a number 9. They have pull at the minute and from looking at the amounts they spend on defensive mids every summer - they have funds. Just go out and by a proper centre forward. It's the single biggest thing holding them back.
Would you sacrifice Havertz's link up play for Watkins' finishing? They could play together too.
Watkins isn't bad at link up play himself either, I'm pretty sure he topped the assists charts last season.
You don't think Watkins is a lead the line type of striker?
I love that people are debating if he’s a better option for them than Havertz 
Sort of, but Van persie was a proven top class player at a club in the tier below. It seems like Watkins hasn’t really proven himself on that level yet, and will have to step up when he joins arsenal. Van Persie basically just did what we did for arsenal but for man united as he was already there.
Except RVP was world class.
Still, with the dearth of quality strikers these days, Watkins will go for a large sum.
Hope they do get him if it stops them going for Gyokeres
We need to get involved. Watkins is class. I’d go all in on this guy and forget about Gyokeres. If we can get him now I’d even forgive a (very) quiet summer.
We aren't close to competing - im not sure going all in on a 29 year old and neglecting the umpteen other positions we need to fill would be wise.
Get involved with what? We haven’t got any money, certainly not splashing £60m on Watkins.
Watkins is a big Arsenal fan as well so will be interesting how much he will want this move.
Think if Villa sell Watkins to keep Duran they’ll end up losing both
It's hilarious how many people want to go for prime age signings. We are miles off. Those kind of signings would be pointless.
We'll probably be signing a prime age striker in the summer.
I love that people are debating if he’s a better option for them than Havertz
Proper wtf stuff.
thread got nuked?
I'm guessing a mod is attempting to make a transfer thread out of the footy forum one and made a pig's ear of it.
I am sometimes puzzled why Arsenal make bids in such a way that needlessly wind up the selling team.
The bid for 1p over what was believed to be Suarez’ release clause. Bidding for Villa’s main man mere hours before a crucial UCL match.
I don’t get it. It only makes negotiations harder, surely.
The bid for 1p over what was believed to be Suarez’ release clause. Bidding for Villa’s main man mere hours before a crucial UCL match.
I don’t get it. It only makes negotiations harder, surely.
It would be a very United thing to do though…. Oh right
Not really no. Not in the sense of the word for what I feel Arsenal need.
He can link up well enough and he'll work hard. He'll score you 15 to maybe 20 goals for next season and perhaps one more before his pace starts to go. But I don't think there are too many centre backs in the league who truly dread coming up against him.
He's 29 and has scored more than 15 top flight goals twice. He's never scored 20, despite being the main man at a decent Villa side set up to provide for him. Havertz got 13 last year in a side where the likes of Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard all pitch in with more goal threat than Villa have.
Go out and sign an Isak, Gyokeres or even an Osimhen - someone who will offer you a presence and bully defences. Any of those can be your guy for the next 4 or 5 years and not someone you're just going to be trying to improve on again the summer after next.
I'd rather sign Liam Delap.
Putting that kind of money down on Watkins feels like a strange move from Arsenal's perspective. He's a good player and better than their existing options but not one who really bridges the gap between them and the better teams.
They aren't going to win anything this season so I'd have thought they're better off going for a stopgap and signing a more appropriate player in the summer. Or put that money towards a better player now.
They aren't going to win anything this season so I'd have thought they're better off going for a stopgap and signing a more appropriate player in the summer. Or put that money towards a better player now.
Would it be enough for the title? A la RvP 2012/13 for us
vibes of Arsenal signing John Hartson and Chris Kiyomya on the same day. I feel old just thinking that !!
I almost want them to get their man just to shit the scousers up
The age thing I do have concerns about, I can't lie.
But in terms of performance, there's not many players I see in this league that has given Gabriel and Saliba a consistently hard time almost every game we've came up against him.
I don't know why, I wouldn't say he's overly skilful, lightening quick or massively strong, but maybe he's just a good all rounder.
I don't know what the issue is with Osimhen, I find it really strange massive clubs have been consistently linked with him but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
Isak is obviously the dream, but an unobtainable one I fear.
Potentially a big signing for the title race. Not sure why Arsenal waited this long to move.
Villa wont sell both Watkins and Duran. At least not in the next few days.
Arsenal should have been all over this earlier.
Arsenal should have been all over this earlier.
Watkins doesn't get the heart racing. He'd do a job for them, but I'm glad that we aren't paying silly money for him.
I think it's probably good business to accept a ~£70m bid for Watkins and keep Duran, which I suspect they might do now.
Good fit for Arsenal at the right price. Frees up Havertz to support Odegaard in the creative hub further back too in his clearly more natural role, though his minutes will decrease due to it, whatever, end game is trophies and this works on all levels for them.
Would he be obtainable if not for the obsession with defensive mids?
You had Xhaka, Partey, Jorginho, Guendouzi, Torreira and Lokongo, then signed Rice, then Merino and now you're signing Zubimendi. There's hundreds of millions spent there on one area of the field, where it feels for an outside looking in, that you could probably have spent half as much without a huge amount of discernible difference to your game plan.
Add that money to the cash spent on Havertz and Jesus and there wouldn't be many unobtainable targets out there.
Don't get me wrong - Rice and Zubimendi would obviously be an outstanding midfield, but it's the priorities that confuse me. Why are you happy to pay top dollar for the biggest names there but always willing to compromise somewhat on the centre forward?
Did Arsenal wait until Villa agreed a deal for Duran? Odd
Arsenal seem quite opportunistic in the market. Probably saw they were looking to sell Duran then moved because Villa may prefer to sell Watkins now, his value isn't getting any higher.
He will be a bit of sick note when he turns up at Arsenal