'His muscle ' - Arsenal target picks up injury after Gunners' bid as further clarity awaited


Arsenal are on the hunt for attacking reinforcements as they aim to chase down Liverpool in their bid for the Premier League title. The Reds threw down the gauntlet to the Gunners on Saturday as they won 2-0 at in-form Bournemouth to move nine points clear at the top.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side firmly kept themselves in the race with a thumping 5-1 win over Manchester City. Although the hosts found the net five times, their need for a new striker is evident amid long-term injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdArsenal have been linked to a host of players as they seek to bolster their attacking options this window, with former goalkeeper David Seaman weighing in on Monday morning to urge his old side to sign somebody with Premier League experience.
Watkins injured after Arsenal bid
One player with proven Premier League experience who has attracted interest from Arsenal is Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins. The England international was the subject of a £60m bid from the Gunners last week. Villa were reportedly angry with the timing of the offer, as it emerged just hours before the final round of Champions League games before the knockout rounds.
Further reports on the bid claimed Arsenal were prepared to return with an improved offer but as of yet that has not come. Matters have been further complicated by an injury to Watkins that he picked up as Villa lost 2-0 to Wolves over the weekend. The striker came off at half-time as Unai Emery said afterwards: "I changed him because he was feeling a little bit of pain in his muscle. Hopefully tomorrow we will test him and assess him and it won’t be anything important. I changed him because of it."
Speaking on the player’s future, Emery said ahead of Villa’s loss to Wolves: "He is happy to stay. We asked him how he is feeling every day, and he is happy here.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdCommitment from Watkins ‘is huge’
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will return to test Villa’s resolve with a second bid for Watkins. Jhon Duran has left the club, leaving Emery without a second striker for the remainder of the season. He added: "The commitment of Ollie Watkins with us is huge. He appreciates a lot how Villa is always supporting him and helping him. When we joined here two years ago, how we were working with him and getting the best of him.
"Now we need him, like he needed Aston Villa in the last years. I am speaking with him a lot, he is always adapting with every circumstance we have and of course when some teams are calling us, being interested in the players, it’s very good for us and the players. Some players prefer to leave and some accept to stay here and commit to our challenges. One of them is Ollie Watkins."
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.