Arsenal did not offer as much as £60million to Aston Villa for England striker Ollie Watkins, according to a report.
It was reported on Wednesday night that Arsenal made an audacious bid to sign Watkins from Aston Villa, hours before both clubs played in the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta’s side had already secured qualification into the last 16 of the competition but the Villans had to win against Celtic and receiving an offer so close to kick-off reportedly frustrated the club’s hierarchy.
The timing was bizarre and clearly won’t help negotiations, with the Gunners considering an improved offer.
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It was widely reported that Arsenal’s bid was £60million and rejected by their Premier League rivals.
However, a report from The Telegraph says the Londoners made a bid worth ‘closer to £45million’.
It is said Villa are ‘adamant they do not want to sell’ with the actual offer ‘around half’ his valuation.
The report says:
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 the Champions League game against Celtic – and the size of the offer. Sources likened it to West Ham’s £57 million bid for Jhon Durán 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 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 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 Durán’s impending move to Saudi Arabia, for an initial £64 million plus add-ons, will make a successful move for Watkins even more difficult for Arsenal.
Villa on Wednesday night dismissed the prospect of selling both their star strikers so close to the end of the transfer window and the club will look to reinvest some of the Durán cash once the move goes through.
As mentioned in the report, Jhon Duran is set to move to Saudi Arabia.
When that transfer is finalised, Villa will probably want even more than £80m to part ways with Watkins.
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