There’s a good chance we’ll recruit a striker in the winter transfer window to give us a boost in the title race. It’s thought that Ivan Toney could be the one. If you’re a regular Just Arsenal reader, you should be aware of the club’s interest in Toney and our reported plans to make him one of our own in January.
As we await the winter transfer window to see if we will sign Toney, former Manchester City custodian Shay Given believes Toney’s transfer to the Emirates could be jeopardised because of Ollie Watkins.
He believes Ollie Watkins’ agent must be looking at his client blossoming at Aston Villa and wondering why he can’t do the same at a “big club” like ours, Manchester United, or Chelsea.
The former Premier League goalkeeper had this to say on PL productions about the 27-year-old Villa hitman after he scored a hatrick versus Brighton: “He has gone under the radar, but maybe because he plays for Aston Villa… Maybe he is talking about a new contract at the minute.”
“When you look at other clubs in the Premier League like Arsenal, Chelsea, or even Man United, someone of this calibre, I wonder if his agent is sort of secretly saying, ‘He is of that level. He can grab goals’… He is a brilliant striker.”
Watkins’ contract with Villa expires in 2025; therefore, if his agent is actually intrigued by the potential of his client moving to a big club, not agreeing to a new deal, as rumours claim is being considered, should be the way to go.
If he was recommended to us, I believe Arteta would consider signing him (Watkins), given that he is a player we have been linked with. Watkins is a fantastic striker; he already has 7 goals in all competitions this season, and he scored 15 goals and assisted on 6 others in 37 league appearances last season.
Though I would prefer a move for Toney, I could find it difficult to dismiss Watkins as an option for my attack if I were Arteta.
Which one would you choose?
Daniel O
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I said it before they we shouldn’t have let Balogun go. He’s a better goal scorer that Jesus or Nketiah. He also has a striker’s movement. Arteta should have nurtured that talent.
Anyway, I would rather we go for Osimhen. Evan Ferguson looks like a future world beater (a Harry Kane replacement).
But if given the options of Toney or Watkins, I will certainly go for the Villa man
I really like Santi Gimenez we’re linked with. Good finisher, tall, rather quick, affordable.
We can forget Toney with Brentford’s 60-80 million valuation. Plus the guy carries a lot of baggage.
Victor Osimhen is the only one true upgrade to what we have now, if we are to seriously challenge for EPL an CL. The other two would be a compromise…
Shows how much knowledge of English football and its history has been lost and apparently forgotten, when Aston Villa are considered a “small club”.
Yes Ozziegunner, I was thinking exactly the same thing as previous league champions and winners of the European Cup, also look where they are now under a very good manager.
👍Exactly right GB, a very good manager (disgarded by Arsenal) and as BB states below “very ambitious owners” prepared to spend wisely to compete.
Firstly Chelsea aren’t a big club, like City they are a money club, secondly Villa are on their own push for success, this isn’t about Watkins, this article is a typical self entitled load of nonsense, Villa are a giant of a club themselves, there is no way there ambitious owners sell in the winter, they may sell late in the summer if Watkins hasn’t signed a new deal, but like Luiz he probably will stay, I am not sure Arsenal fans quite understand what’s going on at Villa, they are a juggernaut that’s going to fly past you if you are not careful!!! This article is self deluded nonsense!!
I wouldn’t say the article is self deluded, but your points regarding Villa are spot on.
As an Arsenal supporter, I would like to see both players, self confessed Arsenal fans themselves, sign for the club and the contract situation of said players might just see this happen.
Toney