Arsenal's Ollie Watkins transfer fell through despite striker's love for Gunners

If things had gone differently in January, Ollie Watkins might have been taking the field for Arsenal rather than Aston Villa this Saturday. The 29-year-old was strongly linked with a high-profile move to the Emirates Stadium last season, but no agreement was ever reached between the two clubs.

Arsenal's reluctance mainly came down to price. Villa were asking for around £60million, a number the Gunners considered too high for a striker approaching 30.

By the midway point of last season, Watkins had established himself as one of the Premier League's most reliable and prolific forwards. Under usual circumstances, Villa would have dismissed any suggestion of selling but financial pressures linked to PSR forced their hand: they needed to sell either Watkins or fellow striker Jhon Duran to ease their budget constraints.

Arsenal tested their resolve with a £40m bid for Watkins, which Villa quickly rejected. The club stood firm, demanding £60m, prompting Arsenal to withdraw from the talks.

It was a bold move, especially with Mikel Arteta's team embroiled in a tight title race and lacking firepower up front. Having finished runners-up in the Premier League for two straight seasons, Arsenal were under pressure to strengthen and to deliver.

• Mikel Arteta issues Declan Rice update and hints Arsenal star's injury is 'more complicated'

• Arsenal told to dismiss Man City approach that thwarted Liverpool in title race

Even so, the club chose not to spend just for the sake of it, deciding to postpone their search for a striker until the summer. Meanwhile, Villa sold Duran to Al-Nassr for £64m in January, leaving Watkins as the main man of their attack.

After a 27-goal campaign in 2023/24, Watkins was reportedly keen to move to the Gunners. A boyhood Arsenal fan, the England international had previously described playing for them as "the dream."

However, that dream now seems unlikely following Arsenal's summer signing of Viktor Gyokeres. The Swede has not hit top form in North London yet but six goals in 16 appearances heading into the weekend is a respectable tally.

By comparison, Watkins has only scored three times in 20 appearances across all competitions this season - a disappointing return, particularly given Villa's recent strong form.

As things currently stand, it looks like Arsenal made the correct decision in January. Yet football can quickly change the narrative - and with Arteta's side visiting Villa Park in the early kick-off this Saturday, both Gyokeres and Watkins have a chance to add a twist to the tale.

The Gunners enter the weekend five points clear at the summit. A 2-0 victory over Brentford on Wednesday returned them to winning ways after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.

A win against Villa would maintain their position as title favourites but anything less allows Manchester City - who play Sunderland later - to narrow the gap. Aston Villa, meanwhile, start the weekend in third place, three points ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea and a point behind City, with plenty on the line for their own ambitions.