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There are three reasons why Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is a ‘perfect’ potential signing for Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
Those three reasons have been explained by former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit, who is desperate to see his old club secure a deal for the England international.
Watkins was one of the best players in the Premier League last season, conjuring up 19 goals and 13 assists across 37 top-flight games for Unai Emery’s side.
But why does Petit think Watkins would ‘fit like a glove’ into the current Arsenal team? Read on to find out…
Why Ollie Watkins is a ‘perfect’ potential signing for Arsenal
Emmanuel Petit feels there are three reasons why Watkins is such a good fit for Arsenal.
The first one is Watkins’ physicality, which allows him to fight off defenders – sometimes two defenders at the same time – and successfully hold up the ball.
The second reason is his ability to ‘run in behind defenders’, which we saw with his dramatic late goal for England against the Netherlands at Euro 2024.
The third and final reason is his impressive ‘one-on-one combinations’, which we’ve seen at Villa.
‘Arsenal needs a striker that fits perfectly into Arteta’s philosophy, which means that they must find a player with strong technical skill and the ability to keep the ball up front,’ Petit told Gambling Zone.
‘They need a striker that can play with his teammates in a small space and someone that can feel the same movement of his teammates in terms of combinations and off the ball movement.
‘Signing a striker should be Arsenal’s number one priority in the transfer window. They need someone that is good in the air and can also be physically imposing.
‘It’s good to have different options, and with Arsenal, you know how they will play on the attack, and it can be too predictable. We’ve seen them struggle to break down teams that play with a lot of men behind the ball.
‘There are a few players who tick all these boxes on the market. I’m a huge fan of Ollie Watkins. I love him! He’s strong physically. He has the pace to run in behind defenders.
‘He’s able to fight with two defenders all the time and can hold up the ball. I think he would be perfect for the football that Arsenal play. He has the ability to play one-on-one combinations and I think he would fit like a glove into an Arsenal team and system.’
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