Aston Villa have reportedly rejected a bid worth around £60m for Ollie Watkins from Arsenal.
Ahead of our crunch Champions League clash with Celtic on Wednesday night, transfer speculation has dominated the build-up amidst talk of potential exits for our strikers.
READ MORE: Villa confirm contract extension and loan exit for bit-part ace
According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa have turned down an offer of around £60m from Arsenal for Watkins, and further, the club are said to be unhappy with our Premier League rivals over the timing of their bid.
Further, he adds that the club are simultaneously in talks with Al-Nassr over a potential transfer for Jhon Duran, as it seems as though we may well sell one of our frontman before the January transfer window deadline.
At a time when we need to strengthen the squad, it’s far from ideal that speculation is linking key individuals with potential exits, as Emery and the club seemingly have some big decisions to make in the coming days.
While we absolutely need to bring in a centre-half before the deadline given our injury troubles and the departure of Diego Carlos, it seems as though we now risk being left light in the attacking third too with Emiliano Buendia leaving on loan on Wednesday, while one of Watkins or Duran could now follow.
Incomings are expected to fill those voids and hopefully improve the group, but this could be a fundamental choice that shapes both our short-term and long-term future.
Watkins has proven his class since joining us in 2020, going on to score 80 goals and providing 34 assists in 200 appearances for the club, and he is the more polished and complete striker by some distance who has been fundamental for Unai Emery.
In contrast, Duran is still just 21 years of age, and with 12 goals in 29 appearances so far this season, he has shown growth and development so far this year to support the argument that he is our long-term option up top.
That comes with an element of risk too though given all the talk off the pitch around his future which doesn’t seem to go away, and so if we are indeed even entertaining the idea of selling one of Watkins or Duran this week, time will tell which the club feel will benefit us in the long run.
That said, with no suggestion that a deal is close for either of the pair, it remains to be seen if an exit materialises at all.