The dream £70m striker signing that could supercharge Arsenal’s Premier League title bid
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Arsenal bring to mind a jigsaw puzzle laid out across the flat of a kitchen table, the box next to them empty, the picture they are assembling so achingly close to completion. And yet there is still a piece missing. For all of their defensive compactness, midfield wizardry, and goalkeeping excess, you could argue, justifiably, that Mikel Arteta is perhaps still a genuine top class centre forward away from winning the Premier League title for the Gunners.
Of course, neither Eddie Nketiah or Gabriel Jesus are slouches, but between injuries and the necessity of tactical alteration, it is impossible to know if either will kick on and become the 25-goal striker that most champions tend to boast. Unlike a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece, however - which usually brings with it a dull frustration that lingers indefinitely - Arsenal find themselves in the fortunate position of simply being able to go out and purchase the solution to their problem.
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Hide AdWhich brings us to Ollie Watkins. The Aston Villa striker has been linked with the Gunners for some time now, and it would appear that transfer chiefs at the Emirates are unwilling to let their interest fizzle out any time soon. According to reports from Spain on Sunday, Arsenal have ‘not forgotten’ about the 27-year-old, and could look to make their move in the January transfer window.
For his part, it is understood that Watkins considers North London to be an attractive destination, although the report does go on to state that any potential deal with Villa will be difficult to complete partway through the campaign. It has previously been suggested that the striker is valued at around £70 million by his current employers. But anything worth having is also worth fighting for.
Over the course of the past few months, Watkins has proven himself to be one of the most consistently threatening finishers in the Premier League. Since the turn of the year he has scored 16 goals in 30 top flight outings, and has already registered seven in 13 across all competitions this season. Factor in a further four assists this term, and his goal contributions are comparable with just about anybody in the country. Increasingly, he is showing that he can produce on the big stage too. A friendly against Australia at Wembley is hardly the World Cup final, but when England needed a winner on Friday evening, it was Watkins lurking at the back post to hurl himself at a driven Jack Grealish cross-shot for the tap-in.
The former Brentford man is about far more than just putting the ball in the back of the net, though. According to the boffins at Whoscored, nobody in Aston Villa’s squad has recorded more key passes or shots on goal per game so far this campaign, and nobody comes remotely close to matching Watkins’ average match rating of 7.37. In fact, that figure makes him the second-highest rated striker in the Premier League this term, and is enough to put him in the Team of the Season at this fledgling stage, leading the line alongside Erling Haaland.
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Hide AdIn short, then, Watkins has slowly but surely established himself as one of best centre-forwards in the country, and given that Arsenal are looking for exactly that kind of player, this has the feeling of a deal that they should absolutely go all out to wrap up.
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