Arsenal urged to sign £70m Aston Villa star in potentially season-defining January swoop

Aston Villa duo Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz
Arsenal legend David Seamen has urged Mikel Arteta to make a move for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in the January transfer window.
The Gunners have got off to an excellent start this season and sit second in the table with one game in hand on league leaders Liverpool, but Arteta is still keen to reinforce his squad.
It’s no secret that Arsenal are considering bringing in a new striker. Questions have been raised in recent weeks over whether Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are prolific enough for a title race.
As previously reported by TEAMtalk, Arsenal are admirers of Brentford’s Ivan Toney, while other high-profile stars such as Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic and Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy have been linked.
The North London club will have to sell players before sanctioning any more major incomings, however. Arteta is reportedly willing to part ways with Jakub Kiwior, while Thomas Partey is attracting interest from several clubs
It could be a busy window for Arsenal and Seamen thinks that they should focus their efforts on Watkins, who has played a key role in Aston Villa’s recent success.
Seamen: Watkins a ‘good shout’ for Arsenal
Speaking on the Seamen Says Podcast, Seamen said that bringing in Watkins would be a ‘good shout’ for Arsenal in January.
“[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,” Seamen said.
“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 been fantastic for Aston Villa since Unai Emery took charge of the club in October 2022.
Last season, the England international scored an impressive 15 goals in 37 Premier League appearances. His excellent form has continued this term, too, netting eight in 15 games so far.
In comparison, Jesus has only scored twice in 10 league games, while Nketiah has five goals in 15.
Watkins could, therefore, be a game-changing addition for Arsenal. They are not the only team interested in him though, with Chelsea also keeping tabs on his situation.
The 27-year-old recently signed a new contract with Aston Villa so they certainly won’t get him go for cheap. Recent reports suggest that the Midlands club will only entertain offers of at least £70m in January.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Arsenal listen to Seamen’s advice and make a bid for Watkins in the coming weeks.
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