Watkins Interest: Genuine Pursuit or Arsenal’s Latest PR Move? | OneFootball

If you have to buy a house, you normally bid for properties that are officially on the market.

If the asking price is £250,000 and I offer £100,000, can I seriously claim I did everything to purchase a new home?

There’s a divide in our fanbase about how genuine our interest is in Ollie Watkins. Reports vary on when negotiations began with Aston Villa and how far apart all parties are on the valuation. Some even suggest, as a boyhood Gooner, it was the player himself who welcomed the interest. That, though, was when he thought he was competing with Jhon Durán.

Constantly flirting with breaching FFP rules, Villa couldn’t afford to have one of their major assets sitting on the bench. Financially, it could have made more sense cashing in on Watkins purely because Durán is younger. At 29, your resale value is starting to reduce.

Al Nassr, though, were willing to pay over the odds. One theory is they heard this in North London and felt this was their last chance to make a move. That’s, though, being kind.

The reason many supporters feel this was simply a PR move is because of their footballing education. Unai Emery wouldn’t want to be left without a striker. His employers wouldn’t need the cash because of the Saudi Arabia investment.

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

There would be backlash against the owners when there is a feel-good feeling at Villa Park. The money wouldn’t compensate for missing out on Champions League revenue, which would happen if you lose two of your best attackers.

If a fan knows that, then surely so does Jason Ayto. In the short term, he’s replaced Edu at leading recruitment.

This often gets lost on people, but our recruiting team are not doing this out of love and loyalty. It’s literally their job to identify and scout talent—not just for one month but all year round, so a shortlist is ready when needed. They get paid thousands of pounds to find the criteria of player Mikel Arteta requires.

The window closes on Monday, and we have yet, in January, been able to support the squad, even though we have known since December that Saka could be missing for the rest of the season.

The irony is that many want Michael Oliver punished because they translate a mistake as not doing your job. Yet what do you call making an offer you know will be rejected before you even send it?

That’s the best we can do?

We have money. Other attacking players are moving. You can’t, with a straight face, say this Watkins saga is Arsenal FC trying to be the best we can be.

Yet those old enough will know this has been our tactic before: make an unrealistic bid, then tell your customers, “at least we tried.”

Remember how many times Mr Wenger would be his employer’s shield, saying we were only in the market for the very best.

I have been actually surprised how many don’t seem to rate Watkins, so I sense it’s not desired for Arsenal to pay over the odds. Yet they must have known this is the month where there is inflation, and Villa were only ever going to entertain silly money.

Of course, they knew that.

I see you, Stan Kroenke, and thankfully, more and more of my peers are beginning to as well.

If we get to Monday and we don’t have a natural finisher, then saying “we tried” won’t wash.

Dan Smith

( Great news guys, predictions returning!

To give everyone some time I will drop casual reminders but it will resume the weekend of Friday 14th February)