Aston Villa remain adamant they do not want to sell Ollie Watkins as it emerged Arsenal’s opening offer was almost half the price the Midlands club would value him at.
With Arsenal weighing up whether to test Villa’s resolve with a second offer, Telegraph Sport understands the opening bid that was immediately rejected was closer to £45 million than the £60 million that was originally reported.
There was annoyance inside Villa Park at the timing of the bid – ahead of a big Champions League game against Celtic – and the size of the offer. Sources likened it to West Ham’s £57 million bid for Jhon Duran ahead of the Monaco game that was rejected out of hand.
Neither Arsenal nor Villa would comment on the exact fee offered for Watkins, with Villa believing it was irrelevant given they do not want to sell the 29-year-old in the final days of the winter transfer window. Arsenal believe their bid represented fair market value and was not timed to cause any problems.
Well-placed insiders believe Villa value Watkins at more than £80 million in the current market, even though they have not set an asking price or given Arsenal a figure to try to hit.
Arsenal are considering whether or not to make a second bid, but the Premier League title chasers would have to increase it significantly to stand any chance of changing Villa’s stance. It is unclear whether Villa would be forced to consider an offer if Watkins expressed a desire to leave.
There is also acknowledgement that Duran’s impending move to Saudi Arabia, for an initial £64 million fee plus add-ons, will make a successful move for Watkins even more difficult for Arsenal.
Villa on Wednesday night dismissed the prospect of the club selling both of their star strikers so close to the transfer window shutting and the club will look to use some of the Duran cash once the move goes through.
Duran was said to have completed a medical in London on Thursday ahead of flying to Saudi to officially become an Al-Nassr player.
Villa have been linked with moves for Chelsea pair Axel Disasi and Joao Felix, with the club also joining the list of those registering their interest in exciting forward Mathys Tel, who will leave Bayern Munich in this window.
On the future of Watkins, Villa head coach Unai Emery said: “I don’t want [to sell]. It is good news to have offers from other clubs. We want to keep our sporting objective through the players we have in the squad.
“Every player can be in the market if it is good for the player and the club. To get this deal we are going to be demanding. Watkins is our striker.
“We are working, the club is working and trying to compete in the transfer window because we need some players. Some can leave, but it is not the time to speak about it.”
