Ollie Watkins' failed Arsenal transfer and why he loves the club

Arsenal came close to signing Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins back in January, but the move ultimately fell through

Had events unfolded differently in January, Ollie Watkins would have been lining up for Arsenal instead of Aston Villa this Saturday. The 29-year-old was heavily linked with a blockbuster move to the Emirates Stadium last season, but a deal between the two clubs was never reached.

Arsenal's hesitation largely came down to valuation. Villa were holding out for around £60million, a figure the Gunners felt was too steep for a striker approaching his 30th birthday.

At the time, Watkins had cemented his status as one of the Premier League's most reliable and prolific forwards. Under normal circumstances, Villa would have dismissed any notion of a sale, but looming PSR pressures left them with little choice: they needed to cash in on either Watkins or fellow striker Jhon Duran to ease the financial strain.

Arsenal tested their resolve with a £40m offer for Watkins, which was promptly rejected. Villa stood firm, insisting on £60m, at which point Arsenal walked away from negotiations.

It was a bold call, particularly with Mikel Arteta's side locked in a tense title race and desperately lacking firepower up top. After finishing runners-up in the Premier League for two consecutive seasons, the pressure was on Arsenal to deliver.

Even so, the club refused to spend for the sake of it, opting to defer their striker search until the summer. Villa, meanwhile, went on to sell Duran to Al-Nassr for £64m in January, leaving Watkins as their undisputed main man in attack.

Coming off a 27-goal campaign in 2023/24, Watkins was reportedly eager to join the Gunners. A boyhood Arsenal fan, the England international has previously described playing for them as "the dream."

But that dream looks all but dashed following Arsenal's summer signing of Viktor Gyokeres. The Swede may not have made a blistering start in North London, but six goals in 16 appearances heading into the weekend is a respectable return.

After all, it's more than Watkins has managed. The Villa forward has scored just three times in 20 appearances in all competitions this season - a disappointing output, especially given the team's strong recent form.

As things stand, it looks like Arsenal made the right call in January. But football has a habit of flipping narratives in an instant - and with Arteta's men visiting Villa Park in the early kick-off this Saturday, both Gyokeres and Watkins have the chance to add a twist to the tale.

The Gunners head into the clash five points clear at the top of the table. A 2-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday got them back to winning ways after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea on Sunday.

Victory would keep them firmly on course as title favourites, but anything less will hand Manchester City - who face Sunderland later in the day - to close the gap. As for Aston Villa, they begin the weekend in third place, three points ahead of fourth placed Chelsea and a point behind City, with plenty at stake of their own.