Alan Shearer makes blunt Ollie Watkins to Arsenal transfer prediction

Alan Shearer has slammed Arsenal’s for their lack of activity in the transfer market and fears they have ‘hit the panic’ button by launching a late bid to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.

The Gunners’ pursuit of a new of a new forward is set to go the wire after their initial bid, understood to be as low as £45 million, was rejected out of hand by Villa earlier this week.

Unai Emery was adamant on Wednesday night, after his side had made it through to the next round of Champions League by cementing a top eight finish, that the England striker would be staying put, especially in light of the decision to sanction Jhon Duran’s move to Saudi Arabia.

Asked if he could say for certain Watkins would not be sold, the Spaniard said: ‘I don’t want (him to leave).

‘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.’

Watkins is understood to be keen to join the club he supported as a youngster but it remains highly doubtful that his wish will be granted before Monday night’s deadline.

Should Arsenal fail to secure his signing, or an alternative, the burden will only increase on the already overworked Kai Havertz and Shearer cannot fathom why the north London club have left it so late to make a move in the market.

He told Betfair: ‘There’s no way Arsenal get Ollie Watkins now, I mean they just couldn’t do it, even if they thought it was a good business deal, it was either going to be one or the other and they chose to let Duran go.

‘From an Arsenal point of view it was pretty naughty the timing of it, on the afternoon of a Champions League game, when you consider they’ve had all month they put the bid in and they’ve known what they’re missing for seven or eight months. It’s not as if they’ve just realized what they’re missing.

‘It doesn’t take an idiot to work out what they need and now Arsenal have hit the panic button. 

‘I don’t know why it’s taken them so long to realize that they need a centre forward, so many people have talked about it for such a long time.

‘Arteta will point to Saka and Jesus being out injured, but they needed a centre forward even before they were injured. The only surprise to me is it’s taken so long in the window for them to make a move.

‘Watkins is the sort of player that would make the difference for them, in him you’re getting someone who’s ready-made, but Villa are not going to sell him.’

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