Ollie Watkins | Arsenal bid c. £60m

GoonerBear said:
If you take Kane as a barometer, then by your own admission Kane is the better player, who has had much more of a track record scoring 20+ goals over multiple seasons, is the countries captain and leading number 9, and even from a non playing perspective has a much higher profile than Watkins.

So taking that into account, and taking into account Villa might have ongoing PSR issues, im not sure an opening offer of £60M is that insulting, especially when you have people debating on here if they would even offer that?
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It's worth saying Kane would have been more to a PL club. £100m + players was rejected from City. £60m isn't insulting, it's just bad planning if he was wanted as it's allowed the Duran deal to sneak up and make it harder to get Watkins. Unfortunately, us United fans recognise the late panic moves all too well and usually the next step is getting shafted to the tune of £70m
 
tomaldinho1 said:
It's worth saying Kane would have been more to a PL club. £100m + players was rejected from City. £60m isn't insulting, it's just bad planning if he was wanted as it's allowed the Duran deal to sneak up and make it harder to get Watkins. Unfortunately, us United fans recognise the late panic moves all too well and usually the next step is getting shafted to the tune of £70m
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I agree, i have already said i worry a bit at the potential cost vs his age. There are 1 or 2 sourced now saying the bid was actually closer to £40M-£45M think that could be bordering on insulting if Villa value him at £80M, but some sources are saying they might deal at £60M, so not sure what to believe.

The only thing i would say about you comment about panic buying, is there is a difference in panic buying when you don't have an established team / style of play in the first place and buying a 30 year old midfielder who hasn't played in the league while trying to still stablish this style of play / identity, vs buying an established forward in the premier league in your 1 area of real weakness.
A better comparison could be when you bought RVP, although Watkins certainly isn't in his class.
 
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GoonerBear said:
I agree, i have already said i worry a bit at the potential cost vs his age. There are 1 or 2 sourced now saying the bid was actually closer to £40M-£45M think that could be bordering on insulting if Villa value him at £80M, but some sources are saying they might deal at £60M, so not sure what to believe.

The only thing i would say about you comment about panic buying, is there is a difference in panic buying when you don't have an established team / style of play in the first place and buying a 30 year old midfielder who hasn't played in the league while trying to still stablish this style of play / identity, vs buying an established forward in the premier league in your 1 area of real weakness.
A better comparison could be when you bought RVP, although Watkins certainly isn't in his class.
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We have bought loads of players last minute, Antony, Case, Cavani, Martial, Mata, Falcao etc. it's basically the Woodward hallmark.

I have to assume Watkins is not/was not first choice i.e. as soon as Jesus was injured surely you started planning/calling agents for players of interest given there is clearly money available. For whatever reason it has taken until now to put an offer forwards for Watkins, which seems panicked to me, and the only way Villa sell is if they can absolutely screw you over. He's a good player, I was very much hoping we would sign him when he was leaving Brentford, but unsure about if worth the price mooted for you guys (realistically whoever you sign up top needs to be essentially taking you to the title/CL, I'm not sure it is him although I hope it is as it would mean Pool don't win it).
 
Silly Arsenal, bidding for the wrong player. The guy you want, his name is Marcus Rashford.
 
Bright_Eyes said:
There is no example I can think of of a player of world record fee calibre that has moved at 29 or even 30. Other than Zidane. So of course that very specific record hasn't been broken.

It ain't a joke fee though I agree. It's a fee Villa probably won't wanna consider though.
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That’s… what he’s saying?
 
Houdini said:
The reported 60m is an insult.
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No it's not it's Dumb money for Decent to good Player who isn't a spring chicken anymore .

Arsenal are lucky in a sense that Aston Villa's obstinance might end up saving them from themselves .
 
gajender said:
No it's not it's Dumb money for Decent to good Player who isn't a spring chicken anymore .

Arsenal are lucky in a sense that Aston Villa's obstinance might end up saving them from themselves .
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I agree with this, Aston Villa getting £60m would be amazing for them considering that after this window, I doubt they get offers even half that.
 
gajender said:
No it's not it's Dumb money for Decent to good Player who isn't a spring chicken anymore .

Arsenal are lucky in a sense that Aston Villa's obstinance might end up saving them from themselves .
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Considering how much they just got for Duran, I think they will demand another 20 million on top of that.
 
romufc said:
I agree with this, Aston Villa getting £60m would be amazing for them considering that after this window, I doubt they get offers even half that.
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Agreed thats why I am bit sceptical even about this Arsenal bid , I don't believe it's actually 60m because Watkins isn't somebody who is gonna propel Arsenal to PL glory factor in his age it just doesn't add up .
 
romufc said:
I agree with this, Aston Villa getting £60m would be amazing for them considering that after this window, I doubt they get offers even half that.
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Nonsense. If Villa were to put him in the shop window in the summer for £30m, they'd have bids from half the league before the day was over.
 
stepic said:
That’s… what he’s saying?
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Okay so how do you conclude from that that £60m is fair value for Watkins? If the best players generally don't get sold at that age, and you're having to bring up a massive outlying comparison from 20 years back to make the argument, it maybe isn't the best argument?

I think it's a decent offer, if unlikely one that Villa would consider much, but reasoning that it's a fair offer because the last 29 old that went for >£50m was Zidane is just bizarre logic because the best players don't move much at that age, and Watkins isn't anywhere near that level anyway, so why bring up Zidane's fee. Just kinda not relevant, even if the point that players at that age begin to depreciate rapidly in value is true, which it is. Whatever.
 
£55m-£60m is probably a fair offer IMO but it's January... Villa understandably want more given their season is in the balance and they're probably selling their only other CF at the same time; Arsenal somewhat understandably probably willing to pay more given Jesus is out for the season, they're still in a title race and CL knockouts and there's no obvious better alternatives.
 
Bright_Eyes said:
Okay so how do you conclude from that that £60m is fair value for Watkins? If the best players generally don't get sold at that age, and you're having to bring up a massive outlying comparison from 20 years back to make the argument, it maybe isn't the best argument?
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He was arguing *against* someone who said that £60m was a joke of an offer (ie a small offer), saying that very rarely do players of that age go for such an amount.

I’m not sure why you’re all thinking he’s saying the complete opposite to what he actually said :lol:
 
60 million for one of the best strikers in the league, proven 20+ goals a season PL scorer, great link-up play, can make the transition immediately and seems like a nice, normal bloke on top of all that (a rarity in modern football these days...) = absolute bargain.

Lest we forget we paid more for friggin Hojlund...

Not that Villa will sell anyway. So its all mute talk.
 
rimaldo said:
pretend you’re taking a corner. you look up and see your goon defenders grappling and wrestling people to the ground around the goalkeeper. one of your midfielders has one of the opposition i tears with a vicious chinese burn. the ref looks glances at the opposition captain apologetically and says “what are they like!?” before rolling his eyes and succumbing to the temptation to peel back the cling film on his upper arm and check on the wellbeing of his latest, freshly-inked gunners tattoo.

you draw your foot back and swing with all your might. the ball travels hard and flat. it’s heading slap bang towards the middle of the goal. your strikers have contained the goalkeeper, he is prostrate on the floor, his arms and legs being pinned to the turf. arteta is in the mixer, windmilling his arms around and striking anyone who dares to get close enough to header the ball away. gabriel is halfway up a ladder, whilst rice moves it around to match the ball’s trajectory. var’s finger is hovering over the button, itching to give a penalty. but it is not needed, the ball strikes the now passed out goalkeeper as saka extinguishes the last of his breath with a choke hold to the neck. you go 1-0 up. the linesman climbs on to your back as you both salute your gurning fans, before toppling over in their drool.

but what’s this? 20 years later, your kicks, although the same power, now no longer reach the penalty box. your defenders are rampaging as usual, your manager is playing a banjo and demanding the goalkeeper squeals like a piggy, but all to no avail. your corners have suffered the effects of inflation.
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Bb
rimaldo said:
pretend you’re taking a corner. you look up and see your goon defenders grappling and wrestling people to the ground around the goalkeeper. one of your midfielders has one of the opposition i tears with a vicious chinese burn. the ref looks glances at the opposition captain apologetically and says “what are they like!?” before rolling his eyes and succumbing to the temptation to peel back the cling film on his upper arm and check on the wellbeing of his latest, freshly-inked gunners tattoo.

you draw your foot back and swing with all your might. the ball travels hard and flat. it’s heading slap bang towards the middle of the goal. your strikers have contained the goalkeeper, he is prostrate on the floor, his arms and legs being pinned to the turf. arteta is in the mixer, windmilling his arms around and striking anyone who dares to get close enough to header the ball away. gabriel is halfway up a ladder, whilst rice moves it around to match the ball’s trajectory. var’s finger is hovering over the button, itching to give a penalty. but it is not needed, the ball strikes the now passed out goalkeeper as saka extinguishes the last of his breath with a choke hold to the neck. you go 1-0 up. the linesman climbs on to your back as you both salute your gurning fans, before toppling over in their drool.

but what’s this? 20 years later, your kicks, although the same power, now no longer reach the penalty box. your defenders are rampaging as usual, your manager is playing a banjo and demanding the goalkeeper squeals like a piggy, but all to no avail. your corners have suffered the effects of inflation.
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:lol:
 
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