Arsenal have received a recommendation to secure the services of Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the January transfer window.
The Gunners currently have Gabriel Jesus leading the line for them, but the Brazilian has struggled to score goals consistently, managing just two in the league this season. Arsenal is in clear need of a more dependable finisher.
Former Arsenal player and club legend David Seaman has suggested that Jesus spends too much time participating in the build-up play, emphasizing the need for someone to lead the line and focus on scoring goals.
“[Watkins] is a good shout. Yeah, because he’s a box striker. He doesn’t get too involved in the build-up play, which I like,” Seaman commented on his Seaman Says podcast (h/t Mirror) when discussing potential January targets.
“I sometimes see Jesus too far out, and I’m like: ‘No, get back in the middle!’ It’s something everyone is talking about; getting a new striker would boost the team.”
Watkins has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top strikers, making him an attractive potential acquisition.
The 27-year-old may be enticed by a move to a prominent club like Arsenal, but Aston Villa is unlikely to permit his departure any time soon. Positioned third in the league table and pursuing Champions League qualification, selling their top player in January would disrupt their season, and the West Midlands club faces no urgency to cash in on their key assets.
It will be intriguing to watch whether Mikel Arteta chooses to give the 27-year-old Premier League striker a formal offer to sign. Watkins finished the previous season with 16 goals in all competitions; this season, he has 13 goals and 8 assists in all competitions.
He could definitely prove to be a better option than Jesus at this point, but it will be a very challenging transfer to make.
