‘Ollie Watkins to Arsenal update as Marcus Rashford nears Aston Villa move’
Arsenal chances of successfully signing Ollie Watkins if Marcus Rashford arrives at Aston Villa from Man United have been assessed by Sue Smith.
Earlier this week reports emerged that the Gunners had seen a £60million bid rejected for England striker Watkins, with suggestions they could make another offer.
It is though now being claimed that the 27-year-old is closing in on a loan move to Aston Villa (The Athletic).
But while that means Unai Emery is getting another attacker, Smith does not believe that means Arsenal will be given a boost in their attempts to sign Watkins thanks to the departure of Jhon Duran.
When asked on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday if Villa signing Rashford could make a move to the Emirates for Watkins more likely, the former England women’s international said:
“I still think they’ll try and keep him (Watkins), Unai Emery had him and Duran for that period of time where having those two options was great having that competition for places where if it wasn’t quite working for Watkins, Duran would come on and score the winner.
“I also think Marcus Rashford, he’s got that versatility so he can come off the left he can come off the right if need be he can obviously be the option in the number nine if they need to rotate with Ollie Watkins, they’ve obviously brought in Malen as well.
“So they now have options. Aston Villa needed to strengthen they’ve got a lot of injuries they’re obviously trying to compete in the Champions League and in the Premier League so they needed to bring players in and I think Unai Emery will back himself to get the best out of Marcus Rashford.
“But my worry is selling him to a rival club. You just think if he goes to Aston Villa and performs at a very very high level, what will the Manchester United fans think?”
Aston Villa to hold firm despite Rashford loan deal from Man United
Football Insider Verdict
The departure of Duran does mean that Aston Villa will be short on attacking options if they do lose Watkins as things stand.
Rashford’s move, if it is indeed completed, will give Emery the depth he needs further forward in response to the departure of the Colombian.
As a result, Arsenal should not be taking any extra hope from the 27-year-old’s move to Villa Park in their pursuit of Watkins.
If Villa were to allow the striker to go, it would cancel out the work they have done in bringing Rashford to help cover for the departure of Duran.
With that in mind they will surely still want to stand firm in the wake of any further offers from Arsenal for Watkins, to ensure they have the attacking depth they need to compete on multiple fronts this season.
Indeed, the striker’s contract situation means they do not need to sell, with all those circumstances meaning it will no doubt be incredibly hard for the Gunners to get a deal done before the window closes.
In other news, Ethan Nwaneri has reacted to a departure from Arsenal.
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